Adoration of the Infant Christ
mid-16th century
Medium
Painted enamel on copper, partly gilt
Dimensions
H. 7 1/4 in. (18.4 cm); W. 5 7/8 in. (14.9 cm.)
Classification
Enamels
Culture
French, Limoges
Department
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Jules Bache Collection, 1949
Accession Number
49.7.107
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the mid-16th century, enameler Jean II Pénud crafted *Adoration of the Infant*, a exquisite painted enamel on copper, partly gilt, measuring just 7¼ by 5⅞ inches. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Sculpture and Decorative Arts as part of The Jules Bache Collection, small-scale masterpiece exemplifies the Renaissance-era Limoges enamel tradition, where Limoges, France, became Europe's premier center for translucent and painted enamels on metal bases. The scene captures a tender moment of devotion: the Virgin Mary, angels, and animals gathered in reverence around the Infant Christ, ...