Oil on canvas, 72cm by 34.5cm.
This is a 17th Century copy of the original, and previously attributed to Scarsellino; ‘Scarsellino da Ferrara’ is painted on the top of the reverse of the frame.
The painting was bought by Brownlow, 9th Earl of Exeter (1725-1793) in 1763 from the Collection of the Maltese Ambassador in Rome, and appears in the 1763 Burghley Inventory.
Hans van Aachen (1552-1615) was a German artist who trained in the Netherlandish tradition. He later travelled to Italy, where he worked mainly in Venice before returning to Germany.
His early Netherlandish training combined with the Italian influences absorbed on his travels is said to have created his unique style.
