Relief

This bronze relief shows a scene taking place in a landscape with, in the foreground, a river which winds backwards through the composition. In the distance, on the further bank of the river, is a wood. In the right foreground, on the river bank, kneels a woman in left profile bending forward over a child who is floating in the stream. On the left in right profile, is a bearded male figure with hands raised in astonishment at the vision of an angel who appears in the centre in the sky.

The subject of the present relief could be the 'Circumcision of the Son of Moses', Exodus IV, 22-24 (see: J. Montagu).

It is made in the style of Bartollomeo Bellano (ca. 1434-1496/7), who was a native of Padua and assumedly a member of Donatello’s Paduan studio. He appears to have followed Donatello to Florence.