Denys Calvaert

(Antwerp 1540–1619 Bologna)
Christ among the doctors,
traces of a signature or monogram lower centre,
oil on copper, 38 x 29 cm, framed
Provenance:
art market, Spain;
where acquired by the present owner

We are grateful to Daniele Benati for endorsing the attribution of the present painting on the basis of a photograph.

As is related in the Gospel of Saint Luke, Jesus was taken, at the age of 12, to the Temple in Jerusalem by Mary and Joseph and became separated from them. After three days of searching, they found their son learnedly debating with the doctors. This is the moment at which Christ first identifies himself as the Son of God, asking his parents: ‘Why are you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house’.

The Flemish artist Denys Calvaert first trained in Antwerp as a landscape painter, under the guidance of Christiaen van Queecborn. Around 1560 he moved to Bologna, joining Prospero Fontana’s atelier. In 1572 Calvaert moved again, this time to Rome, where he assisted Lorenzo Sabatini in his works for the Vatican and devoted much of his time to copying and studying the works of Raphael. Returning to Bologna, he founded an art academy, in which numerous painters were trained, including future prominent artists such as Guido Reni, Francesco Albani and il Domenichino.

Calvaert introduced small colourful devotional paintings on copper, such as the present painting, to Italian painting and they became very popular among private collectors. In addition to these small works, he specialised in producing large altarpieces: his Saint Michael, one of his most celebrated works, is preserved in the Basilica of San Petronio in Bologna.