(circa 1515 Amsterdam - after 1560 Venice)
The Needleworkers - The Madonna weaving Christ’s cloth and other scenes from Mary’s youth,
oil on canvas, 103 x 169 cm, framed

The present painting displays the influence of Venetian painting. The influence of Titian is apparent in the drapery of the garments and in the softly rendered complexions, and in particular the central figure holding a basket derives from the Lady in White in the Gemäldegalerie Alter Meister in Dresden. Colours have been used on the floor in order to emphasise perspective, a device reminiscent of Tintoretto’s painting in the Scuola Grande di San Marco. The lighting and use of chiaroscuro are also inspired by Tintoretto´s works.

The painting seems to render a secular theme, however the picture contains clear references to the life of the Virgin. A woman at the loom stands out from the group of figures, and because of her halo can be identified as the Virgin Mary. In fact, the subject derives from the life of the Virgin described in the Apocryphal Gospel of James, the Protoevangelium of James (X, 1-2).

The dimensions of the composition suggest a private patron for whom the artist combined an intimate and familiar scene with a religious subject. It is possible that the subject matter refers to holy matrimony and may have been commissioned to celebrate a wedding.

Sustris was born in Amsterdam in 1515. He trained in Italy, where he also worked in the workshop of Titian, joining the master on a journey to Augsburg between 1548 and 1550, then the seat of the court of Charles V. Sources state that Sustris painted landscapes in some of the paintings of Titian and Tintoretto. The present painting can be dated to this period.

We are grateful to Lionello Puppi for confirming the attribution.