The great religious works for Lyon and Paris
Unfortunately, one of the artist's most famous compositions Jésus retrouvé par ses parents dans le temple (Jesus found by his parents in the temple), painted for the Jesuit noviciate in Paris, could not be loaned to Toulouse. It was a favourite subject of the artist, and one of the finest French pictorial inventions of the 17th century in its purest form of classicism, glorifying the innocence of childhood. The versions from Lyon, Saint-Béat and Schiedam are wonderful examples.
Le Baptême du Christ (The Baptism of Christ) was commissioned in 1645 for the high altar of the church of Saint-Germain-le-Vieux in Paris (since destroyed). A number of drawings were created in preparation for this strong and elegant composition.
Probably from the same year (although there is some debate over the date), the Apparition de la Vierge à sainte Elisabeth de Hongrie (The Virgin Appearing to Saint Elisabeth of Hungary) was painted for Sainte-Elisabeth-de-Bellecour in Lyon and is one of the rare works painted for a church in his place of birth. The poor condition of the painting bears witness to the trials and tribulations suffered before its arrival in a Versailles church.
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