The Golgotha - Louis de Caullery (1580 - 1621) and workshop

Oil on oak panel with parquet
It is in a real equestrian ballet, where a compact crowd of riders wearing turbans or helmets topped with feathers, that Caullery invites us to attend the terrible sentence inflicted on Jesus and the two thieves.
The grace of the horses and the richness of the fabrics with their shimmering colors almost make us forget the drama that is unfolding before our eyes. Mary and John, at the foot of the cross, are conversing and only Mary Magdalene, kneeling, appears to be grieving.
The scene is traditionally located on Golgotha (literally "Place of the Skull"), a hill on the outskirts of the city of Jerusalem where those condemned to death were crucified. Golgotha thus became the name given to the large compositions depicting the crucifixion of Christ.
A genre painter appreciated for his joyful compositions depicting galant reunions, carnivals or fireworks, Caullery chose to present this founding event of Christianity with great elegance.
In conclusion, with a very personal touch and a palette new to Flanders, the result of his encounter with the best Italian masters of his time, Louis de Caullery offers us a true Baroque opera.

We have chosen to highlight our Golgotha in a powerful frame with a reversed profile in blackened wood imitating ebony.
Dimensions : 54 x 76 cm - 77 x 98,5 cm

Related works :
Fig. 1 : Collection of the art dealer Jean Neger Paris 1957. Sale Audap Mirabaud of 21.03.2014 lot 23, 66 x 103 cm (circle of). image RKD
Fig. 2: Sotheby's sale 10.04.2003 lot 12, 52 x 80 cm (attr. to). Image Sotheby's

Louis de Caullery (Caullery 1580 - Antwerp 1621). Born not far from Cambrai, he went to Antwerp in 1593. One year later he was a pupil of Joos de Momper. In 1602, he was accepted as a master of the Guild of Saint Luke in Antwerp and undertook a "journey to Italy", stopping in Venice, Florence and Rome. During his Italian journey, he would have met Adam Elsheimer, Caravaggio and Peter Paul Rubens in Rome. He returned to Antwerp between 1605 and 1610.
His painting is characterized by scenes mixing slender characters with smooth faces and exquisite postures. His color palette is very sophisticated: under the influence of the Italian masters, he innovates in Flanders. His representations of buildings are very precise and he is very skilled in perspective.