due vecchi in orazione

Due Vecchi in Orazione (Two Old Men Praying) from 1515 by Quinten Metsys reflects the art of the Antwerp painter who bridged the traditions of fifteenth-century Netherlandish painting and the emerging Italian Renaissance influence. Metsys was the leading painter in Antwerp during the early sixteenth century. Quinten Metsys was the dominant figure in Antwerp painting in the early sixteenth century, transforming a local tradition rooted in Flemish naturalism through his engagement with Italian Renaissance ideas encountered through prints, imported paintings, and possibly direct travel to Italy. His influence extended across the Antwerp school and shaped the direction of Flemish painting for a generation.

The two praying figures demonstrate Metsys's precise Netherlandish technique combined with the expressionistic character studies for which he was famous.