The present painting is based on an original composition by Manfredi¹, in a private collection, executed circa 1617-1619.    

An attribution to Mellan was suggested by Leonard Slatkes in a written communication to the owner dated June 3, 1995. He described the painting as "rare and powerful" and stresses the rarity of the subject matter. Just as Tournier who is known to have ♋copied Manfredi's work on several occasions, Mellan through this work would have given us a skillful interpretation of this master's work

1 N. Hartje, Bartolomeo Manfredi, Weimar&n📖♍bsp;2004, pp. 349-350 cat. no. A 27, illustrated pl. 15.