Frans Franken II, the Younger.

FRANS FRANCKEN II "The Young" (Antwerp, 1581 - 1642).
"The Scorn of Christ".
Oil on copper.
Measurements: 36 x 28,5 cm.
This oil on copper, attributed to Frans Francken the Younger, represents the mockery of Christ, a scene full of drama and religious symbolism. The central composition shows a half-naked Christ, covered only by a red cloak over his shoulder, seated on a platform while surrounded by a group of figures who rebuke and ridicule him. Jesus' serene and resigned expression contrasts with the angry and mocking gestures of the surrounding figures, reinforcing the sense of injustice and suffering.
The dark background of the main scene accentuates the sense of confinement and anguish, while the light falls on the body of Christ, highlighting his presence as the central focus of the work. The composition is framed within a larger structure that includes small monochromatic scenes in sepia and gray tones, organized in the margins of the painting. These vignettes represent key episodes of the Passion of Christ, such as the Crucifixion, the Flagellation and the Pieta, reinforcing the visual narrative and connecting the scorn with the final destiny of the Savior.
In the upper part, the figure of God the Father is observed, who looks down from the heavens with an expression of solemnity and authority, reinforcing the divine dimension of the events. The technique of painting on copper, characteristic of the Flemish school of the 17th century, allows a great richness of detail and a meticulous treatment of light and texture, distinctive qualities of Frans Francken the Younger and his workshop.
Such compositions were common in Flemish art at the time, not only for their pictorial quality, but also for their didactic and devotional function. The work invites meditation on the sacrifice of Christ, emphasizing his physical and moral suffering through the visual language of the early Baroque.

The work is inscribed within the Flemish Baroque, moreover, due to its characteristics it is attributed to Frans Francken II. The most fruitful of his family of painters, he trained with his father, Frans Francken I, and in 1605 he joined the Painters Guild of St. Luke in Antwerp, thus beginning a career that would last until 1640, in which he specialized in cabinet painting. His contribution to this genre was of great importance, influencing artists such as Teniers. His style is based on that of Jan Brueghel de Velours, although it also shows strong influences of his father and his uncle, Hieronimus Francken. In his early works, debts to Mannerism and 16th century painting can be appreciated, both in the structure of the compositions and in the rhythm and expression of his figures. They also include evident references to the work of Italian artists such as Raphael, Veronese and Zuccaro. Likewise, the use of prints by Dürer and Lucas de Leyden for some of his figures has been demonstrated. In addition to cabinet painting, Francken painted mythological and biblical themes, some altarpieces and, in collaboration with other artists, painted the figures in landscapes or interior scenes of Tobias Verhaecht, Joos de Momper II, Pieter Neefs or Paul Vredeman de Vries, among others. He is currently represented in the most important art galleries in the world, such as the Prado Museum, the Louvre, the Royal Museum of Fine Arts in Antwerp, the Kunshistorisches Museum in Vienna, the Hermitage in St. Petersburg and the Royal Collection in London, among many others.