Dutch School, 17th century, after Caravaggio

This painting is closely related to the celebrated Crucifixion of Saint Peter by Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio (1571–1610), which was painted in 1601 for the Cerasi Chapel of Santa Maria del Popolo, Rome.¹ The dissemination of the composition among northern artists is attested to by both a drawing of 1616 by Gerrit van Honthorst (1592–1656), today in the National Gallery, Oslo,² and a painting previously attributed to Adriaan Bloemaert (1609–1666), that is now considered closer in style to Jan Tengnagel (1584–1635).³

¹ R. Guttuso, L'opera completa del Caravaggio, Milan 1967, pp. 95–96, no. 46, reproduced in colour pl. XXXVI.

² J. Richard Judson and R.E.O. Ekkart, Gerrit van Honthorst 1592–1656, The Netherlands 1999, pp. 331–32, no. D16, reproduced in black and white pl. 395.

³ This picture appeared in the Crol sale, Rotterdam, van Marle, de Sille and Baan, 22–23 December 1953, lot 72; A. Moir, Caravaggio and his copyists, New York 1976, p. 94, no. 24v, reproduced in black and white fig. 73.