Italian, 16th century

The angel’s luxuriant hair—deeply drilled and sharply undercut—is enlivened by a vigorous interplay of light and shadow. Equally dynamic is the dense cascade of parallel drapery folds clinging to the thigh, which reveals a confident command of the chisel in conveying both volume and movement. This bold, energetic treatment of drapery recalls the sculptural language of classical friezes, where rhythmic drapery folds both articulate the form beneath and heighten the overall sense of dynamism.

The figure kneels upon an architectural fragment, likely conceived as a console or bracket originally positioned high within a church interior. Such an elevated placement would have allowed the classically inspired ornamental motifs carved on the underside—along with the crisply defined moldings and relief decoration—to be clearly perceived from below.