BATTISTA ANGELO DEL MORO

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Italian School, 1510-1568

Engraving on Paper

19.5" x 16.5" framed

An Italian sculptor and painter, part of a family of artists from Verona, Battista Angolo del Moro is better known for his drawings, particularly his prints, which are indebted to the school of Fontainebleau and the etchings of Parmigianino. He married the daughter of Francesco Torbido (called il Moro) and added her family nickname to his surname. Battista practiced as a decorative fresco painter in the Veneto in the second half of the 16th century and was the first of an important group of etchers active in and around Verona and Venice at that time. His Mannerist style was perpetuated by his sons Marco Angolo del Moro and Giulio Angolo del Moro. Marco also followed in his father's footsteps as an etcher, whereas Giulio was active as a sculptor. Giulio is recorded as a member of the Venetian Painters' Guild first in 1584 and for the last time in 1615. A connection with Alessandro Vittoria's workshop in the 1570s seems likely. The work necessitated by the fires in the Doge's Palace in that decade served as Giulio's entry to State patronage. Between 1584 and 1589 he carved the figures of Diligence, Secrecy, and Fidelity in the Sala delle Quattro Porte and 1585-90 painted the Capture of Caffà in the Sala del Scrutinio. His most prominent picture is Doge Ziani Receiving Gifts from Pope Alexander III (c. 1610) in the Sala del Maggior Consiglio, but his best painting is the animated Ecce homo (1595-1600) in San Giacomo dell'Orio, Venice. In conjunction with Battista Vicentino, he engraved a set of fifty landscapes, mostly after Titian, which are executed in a bold, free style.  

This engraving, "Cristo davanti a Pilato", depicts the moment Jesus is initially brought before the Roman prefect, Pontius Pilate, as written in the four Gospels.    The extremities of the figures are drawn in a very Mannerist style likely from a seven-part sequence by Parmigianino illustrating the Passion of Christ. Parmigianino’s often elongated bodies accentuate the tactility of the composition and contribute to the composition’s emotional resonance.  In  "Cristo davanti a Pilato", Battista Angolo del Moro's work evokes deep sympathy for  Jesus, an innocent man who would soon stand trial, and ultimately face crucifixion.

This engraving is in excellent condition and appropriately displayed in an Italian-style frame and acid-free materials.