Flemish school; Possibly Frans Floris, late 16th century.

Flemish school; possibly FRANS FLORIS (Antwerp, Belgium, 1517 - 1570), late 16th century.
"The Hebrews gathering the Manna".
Oil on panel.
Measurements: 48 x 39 cm; 62,5 x 53 cm (frame).
This work represents the Israelites gathering manna in the desert. The theme comes from the biblical story Exodus 16:14-22: "And when the dew that fell was gone, behold, on the face of the wilderness there was a small round thing, as small as the hoar frost on the ground. And when the children of Israel saw it, they said one to another: It is manna; for they knew not what it was. And Moses said unto them, This is the bread which the LORD hath given you to eat. This is the thing which the LORD hath commanded, Gather of it every man according as he eateth, an omer apiece, according to the number of your souls: take every man according to the number of your persons; take every man for them that are in his tent. And the children of Israel did so, and gathered, some more, some less. And when they measured it with an omer, he that gathered much had nothing left over, and he that gathered little had no lack: every man gathered according as he had eaten. And Moses said, Let no man leave it until the morning. But they hearkened not unto Moses, but some left it until the morning, and it bred worms and stank; and Moses was wroth with them. And they gathered it every morning, every man according to what he had eaten; and when the sun waxed hot, it melted. And it came to pass on the sixth day that they gathered twice as much bread, two omers to a man; and all the chiefs of the congregation came and told Moses."
The stylistic and aesthetic characteristics of the work indicate a strong influence of Frans Floris. A Flemish painter primarily known for his religious, history and portrait paintings, he was one of the leading representatives of Renaissance painting in the Netherlands, specifically of what is known as the Romanist school. Romanists generally traveled to Italy, where they studied the works of the leading masters of the High Renaissance, such as Michelangelo, Raphael and their followers. Their art assimilated these Italian influences and introduced them into the Nordic pictorial tradition, giving rise to a new language. Today we have little documentary information about the life of Frans Floris, although we have information about his youth and training thanks to Karel van Mander, who devotes ten pages of his "Schilder-boeck" (Harlem, 1604), one of the most extensive of the work. His brothers were also outstanding artists. Cornelis was a sculptor and architect, responsible for the design of the Antwerp Town Hall, Jacob was a stained glass painter and Jan Floris was a ceramist. Like his brothers, Frans Floris began his training as an apprentice sculptor, but soon left this discipline to devote himself to painting. He settled in Liège, where he studied with the prominent painter Lambert Lombard, a friend of his brother Cornelisz and trained with him in Rome around 1538. He would later move to Antwerp, the artistic center of the Flemish school at this time, where he attained the rank of master of the Guild of St. Luke between 1539 and 1540. Encouraged by Lombard to study in Italy, he probably traveled to Rome in the early date of 1541-42. There he marveled at contemporary Italian artists, especially Michelangelo and Raphael, as well as the ancient sculpture he discovered in the city. He would later visit other Italian cities, including Mantua and Genoa. On his return to Antwerp, around 1545, he opened his own workshop following the Italian model. Van Mander explains that he achieved great success, which went to his head and led him to alcoholism. What is certain is that he enjoyed a privileged economic situation, as evidenced by the luxurious palace designed for him by his brother Cornelis. Within his production, the altarpieces made mainly with the help of his workshop, destined for the main churches of Antwerp, stand out for their number. He also painted large-scale works for Spanish and Flemish clients, although by comparison only a few of his works have survived to the present day, mainly due to the iconoclastic fury that developed in Antwerp in the second half of the 16th century. His style is characterized by its cleanliness and strength, reflecting the monumental style of his Italian models. His technical execution also reveals a quick hand, a luminous chromaticism and a mastery in depicting anatomy that was rare in the Flemish school of the time. His style exerted an important influence on his time not only thanks to his numerous disciples and followers, but also due to the numerous reproductions of his work by engravers such as Jerome Cock, Cornelis Cort or Theodor Galle. At his death, the project he was working on (a commission for the Spanish Church).