Active for a relatively brief career of less than twenty years, Louis de Caullery remains relatively little known among Flemish painters of the 17th century. Born around 1580 in the Flemish town of Caulery, on the Scheldt river, not far from Cambrai, he was trained in the studio of Joos de Momper. By 1602 he is recorded as a master at the Antwerp painter’s guild. He died in 1621, at the age of thirty-seven.

While De Caullery is best known for his paintings, which are characterized by multifigural compositions and often set in elaborate architectural surroundings, his draughtsmanship has remained less studied until recently. His drawings have often been confused with those of the so-called ‘Master of the Hermitage Sketchbook’, who may...