Lot 1026 Dα

Denys Calvaert, who was born in Antwerp, travelled to Italy as a young man in 1560 and studied with Prospero Fontana in Bologna, where he settled for the rest of his career. He was appreciated as a conscientious teacher in his adopted city, although he was also known for his occasional bouts of temper. His studio produced some of the greatest names in Bolognese painting – Domenichino, Guido Reni, and Francesco Albani. Calvaert's colourful devotional paintings were very popular in Bologna. Within his oeuvre he concentrated on religious themes, producing both small, finely detailed works as well as large altarpieces. However, Calvaert's style was less admired by the artist biographers of the late 17th century, with Carlo Cesare Malvasia considering his manner of working to be "too licked and mannered" (troppo leccato e manieroso).
Dr. Klaus Ertz dates the present work to the second decade of the 17th century.