The Master of the Annunciation to the Shepherds (active Naples, first half of the 17th century)

The Master of the Annunciation to the Shepherds was a major figure in Naples in the early to mid-17th century. The artist was first identified in the eponymous picture in the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, a work that was once given to Velázquez, but whose attribution was questioned by August Mayer in 1923. It was not until 1958 that Ferdinando Bologna suggested naming the anonymous master after the Birmingham picture and, in the years since, the artist’s oeuvre has grown substantially, with several hypotheses being put forward for his identity. He has been recognised in the past as Bartolomeo Passante, or Bassante (1618-1648), a documented artist who is the author of a signed picture in the Prado, a work that has since been distanced from the style of the present artist. More recently the theory has been advanced that he should be identified with Juan (or Giovanni) Dò, originally from Valencia, but known to be working in Naples in the 1620s. The association of Juan Dò with The Master of the Annunciation has gained a greater degree of approval and prompted claims that the mystery has been resolved. However, the hypothesis has not gained universal support. Others have seen Genoese influence in his handling of paint, with an association made with Giovanni Benedetto Castiglione and his treatment of animals. It remains uncertain, despite his work in Naples, whether he was of Spanish or Italian origin (for the most recent summary of the intricate debates surrounding the artist’s identity see N. Spinosa, Pittura del seicento a Napoli: da Caravaggio a Massimo Stanzione, Naples, 2010, pp. 326-8).

This picture, which most probably dates to the 1630s, may have formed part of a series representing allegories of the senses - in this case, hearing. Other candidates for this group include two works by the Master, whose present whereabouts are unknown, showing half-length figures: a Portrait of a bearded man holding a mirror, an allegory for the sense of sight, and Portrait a woman with a rose, for the sense of smell. These two pictures are of closely matching dimensions to our picture. Giuseppe de Vito, though, in the catalogue to accompany the Naples exhibition in 1984-85, did not believe the pictures to be part of the same group or commission (Civilità del Seicento a Napoli, p. 344). In this present work, the lutist leans forward as he plays, or perhaps tunes, the instrument, his raised eyebrow betraying his concentration. With its compelling realism and subtle, silvery light, the picture is highly characteristic of the Master of the Annunciation to the Shepherds.