PROVENANCE: Private Collection, England; Julius Weitzner, New York, 1953; BJU, 1953.

According to his biographer, Bernardo De Dominici, Mattia Preti left his native Calabria at age 17 to study in Rome with his brother Gregorio who was also a painter. The style and lighting effects of Caravaggio and his followers immediately influenced him. His knighthood by Pope Urban VIII in 1641 earned him the nickname "Il Cavaliere Calabrese." By the time he traveled to Naples in 1656, the art of Guercino and Lanfranco had infused Preti's color palette with a bold brilliance, while Venetian influences inspired his use of monumental compositions. This attractive style, coupled with the loss of the majority of great Neapolitan artists to the plague, ushered Preti to the forefront of a city in need of a fresh local leader. He influenced other Neapolitan artists, such as Luca Giordano and Francesco Solimena, with his dynamic and theatrical compositions. After four years of great success in Naples and several brief Italian journeys, he settled on the island of Malta in 1661 to finish his prolific career. The number of works he completed (over 700) is particularly high for a Neapolitan artist of the time since the plague of 1656 tragically robbed many of long careers.

Matthew 18:1-6 records Christ's disciples asking Him which of them would be the greatest in His kingdom. Instead of answering them directly, Christ, the Master Teacher, placed a child in the midst of the disciples and told them to "become as little children." Children are naturally trusting, without the prejudices of adults, and are aware of their insignificance. The disciples needed to learn humility before they could lead. In addition to its powerful narrative and superior quality, this work is also significant as the first example of the artist's work to be placed in a U.S. collection.