Oil on copper, 37.5cm by 29cm.
Signed l.r. on the prieu dieu: DIONISI CALVA.FIAMENGO.
This little painting on copper was acquired by Brownlow, 9th Earl of Exeter (1725-1793) from the Abbé Fiori in Bologna.
Calvaert was born in Antwerp, but spent most of his life in Italy, where he was known as ‘Il Fiammingo’.
He was active in Bologna and Rome, and was known in particular for his small religious works on copper and his drawings.
Highly regarded by his fellow artists, he was a student of architecture, history and anatomy and is known to have spent time studying and copying the works of Raphael (1483-1520).
