| An Angel in Green with a Vielle | |
|---|---|
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| Artist | Giovanni Ambrogio de Predis ? Francesco Napoletano ? |
| Year | Between 1495 and 1499 |
| Catalogue | NG1661 |
| Dimensions | 117.2 cm × 60.8 cm (46.14 in × 23.93 in) |
| Location | National Gallery, London (United Kingdom) |
| Owner | National Gallery |
| An Angel in Red with a Lute | |
|---|---|
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| Artist | Giovanni Ambrogio de Predis |
| Year | Between 1495 and 1499 |
| Catalogue | NG1662 |
| Dimensions | 118.8 cm × 61 cm (46.8 in × 24 in) |
| Location | National Gallery, London (United Kingdom) |
| Owner | National Gallery |
The Angel musicians are two paintings created in the late 15th century to frame Leonardo da Vinci's Virgin of the Rocks. Their purpose was to decorate the side panels of the Altarpiece in the Chapel of the Immaculate Conception, created to decorate a chapel in the Church of San Francesco Grande in Milan. Separated from their original altarpiece at the very end of the 18th century, they have been in the National Gallery in London since 1898.
Both paintings are dated between 1495 and 1499. The first is entitled Angel in Green with a Vielle; it has long been attributed to the Italian Renaissance painter Giovanni Ambrogio de Predis, but recent research shows that it may instead be due to Francesco Napoletano, one of Leonardo da Vinci's pupils. The second, entitled Angel in Red with lute, is generally attributed to Ambrogio de Predis. The influence of Leonardo da Vinci is evident in the treatment of these classical figures.
Although the two paintings are described in documents dating from the time of their creation, these are only indirectly so, since they mainly concern The Virgin of the Rocks. As a result, they remain objects of speculation for researchers as to their status as first or second versions of the work, their creation, attribution, dating, exact placement on the altarpiece and the reasons for their alterations over time - particularly regarding the background color.