Christ in the House of Martha and Mary

1565 · Musées Royaux des Beaux-Arts, Brussels

religious

Joachim Beuckelaer, the nephew and pupil of Pieter Aertsen, specialised in market scenes and genre paintings. Following the path opened up by his uncle, he responded to the growing demand of a prosperous bourgeoisie that wished to decorate their houses with works that reflected the lay character of their surroundings, whilst retaining a moral and religious significance. Jesus' visit to the house of Martha and Mary, taken from St Luke's Gospel, formed the basis of several representations from the mid-16th century onwards.

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About the Artist

Joachim Beuckelaer

1530 – 1574

Netherlandish painter of large still lifes, market and kitchen pieces - active in Antwerp. Beuckelaer was the nephew and pupil of Pieter Aertsen, and he followed his uncle's preference for scenes in which a religious subject is relegated to the background by the still life or genre content ( The Cook, Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna). He seems to have been the first painter to depict fish stalls.

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