Lot 1264 Dα

At the beginning of the XVIIth century, Rome once again became an epicentre of European art. The Roman scene was dominated by the original personality of Caravaggio. By combining a dramatic dynamic with a precise observation of life, Merisi achieved a dark naturalism and achieved great fame during his lifetime. His works and those of his successor Bartolomeo Manfredi (1582-1622) offered a lively, clear alternative to the academic works of late Mannerism. Manfredi's caravaggesque formula - the so-called "Manfredian method" with its life-size and popular figures dramatically depicted in strong chiaroscuro against a plain background - appealed to young artists from all over Europe.
The artist who painted the present canvas was almost certainly referring to examples by northern Caravaggists (the painting was previously attributed to Nicolas Tournier and compared with his version of the theme of Christ and the Adulteress in Brussels, Musées Royaux des Beaux-Arts, inv. 1488). The attribution has not prevailed because the lighter atmosphere and the compositional scheme are more likely to show influences from a classical direction - such as a Pietro da Cortona.
The refined yet naturalistic execution undoubtedly refers back to the Roman art scene of the third decade of the seventeenth century, when the intense naturalism of Caravaggism was slowly being replaced by a lighter and brighter style that already heralded the 18th century.