Holy Family with St Francis

This painting may be dated to Reni’s youthful period in Bologna in the 1590s when he was working under the influence of his teacher, the Flemish painter, Denys Calvaert.

The conception and execution of this work clearly show an affinity with Calvaert’s small devotional works on copper, combining the colour and detail that Calvaert brought from his Flemish heritage with the mannerist tradition found in Bologna.