around 1540 -1619 · Flemish mannerism in Bologna

Precious colors, elegant figures, rocky landscapes and clear devotion make Denis Calvaert an essential mediator between Flanders and Italy.

Born in Antwerp around 1540, Denis or Denys Calvaert, called Dionisio Fiammingo in Italy, first trained with the landscaper Kerstiaen van Queboom. Around 1560, he went to Bologna and worked for Prospero Fontana then Lorenzo Sabbatini. He accompanied the latter to Rome in 1572 for the sets of the Sala Regia and studied Raphael, Michelangelo and Sebastiano del Piombo. Returning to Bologna in 1575, Calvaert founded a renowned school where Guido Reni, Domenichino and Francesco Albani passed before their rapprochement with the Carracci. Returning to Bologna in 1575, Calvaert founded a renowned school where Guido Reni, Domenichino and Francesco Albani passed before their rapprochement with the Carracci. His style combines Italian mannerist drawing, sensual color inspired by Correggio and Nordic minutia. In the climate of the Counter-Reformation, he received numerous commissions from altarpieces, Holy Families and Passion scenes, but also produces small copper paintings intended for collectors. Remaining active in Bologna until his death in 1619, he played a major role in the formation of the local baroque school. The "Denis Calvaert" selection notably compares The Virgin and Child with Saint Catherine, Saint Dominic and little Saint John the Baptist and Noli me tangere - The Risen Christ appearing to Mary Magdalene. His reading favors composition.

Calvaert connects two traditions: Flemish precision animates the color and scholarly elegance of the Bolognese maniera.