About the Image:
The artwork depicts the Child Jesus discussing with the doctors of the Law in the Temple of Jerusalem. This painting belongs to a series of twelve artworks depicting the life of Jesus Christ, with their original golden frames, which come from the convent church of La Merced Calzada in Valladolid. They have been attributed to the Granadian painter Pedro Atanasio Bocanegra since at least the 1843 inventory, and this attribution has not been modified to the present day.
Pedro Atanasio Bocanegra (1638–1688) was a Spanish painter born in Granada. He was a disciple of Alonso Cano and Juan de Sevilla Romero, and his works were influenced by artists such as Pedro de Moya and Van Dyck. Bocanegra's paintings, characterized by lively coloring and influences from various artists, can be found in different museums and collections, including the Museo del Prado in Madrid and the Hermitage in St. Petersburg. He was known for works like the 'Conversion of St. Paul' and the 'Triumph of David.' Bocanegra's style was largely dependent on the example of Alonso Cano, and he was considered one of Cano's closest followers. His career was mostly spent in Granada, where he worked on various churches and convents. In 1673, he was named the maestro pintor of the Granada Cathedral. Bocanegra was also summoned to the court in Madrid in 1676, but his work did not find favor there, and he soon returned to Granada.
