The Life and Travels of Jean Ducamps
Jean Ducamps, also known as Giovanni di Filippo del Campo, was a Flemish Baroque painter born in Cambrai. After learning to paint from Abraham Janssens in Antwerp, he traveled to Rome, where he became a follower of Caravaggio. During his time in Rome, he was actively involved in the creation of the Bentvueghels, an association of mainly Dutch and Flemish artists. Within this group, he was known by the nickname 'Braef', 'Braeff', or 'Brave', serving as a spokesman and advocate for the association. He was also involved in a dispute with the Academy of St Luke regarding the right to be called an artist in Rome.
Following financial hardship in Rome, Ducamps traveled to Madrid around 1637 or 1638 in the company of the Manuel de Moura Corte Real, 2nd Marquis of Castelo Rodrigo. In Madrid, he is said to have obtained commissions from the Spanish king Philip IV and worked for Flemish compatriots such as Philippe François, 1st Duke of Arenberg. All traces of the artist are lost in Spain, and his exact date of death remains unclear.
Artistic Style and Notable Works
Ducamps excelled in several genres, including religious subjects, history paintings, landscapes, allegories, and genre paintings. He was noted for painting many half-length depictions of evangelists and apostles made after life. His skill in history painting is demonstrated by his work The Liberation of Saint Peter. One key work attributed to him is the Allegory of Virtuous Love, which depicts a standing angel seen to the hips, wearing a sheep's skin and holding a small laurel crown.
While no signed works by him are known, making it difficult to establish his full oeuvre, his style is linked to the Caravaggisti. Some works previously attributed to him, such as those grouped around a painting of The Incredulity of St. Thomas, show a stylistic kinship with painters like Cecco del Caravaggio and Valentin de Boulogne. It is also possible that he was the Juan del Campo who collaborated in Madrid with the marine artist Gaspar van Eyck.
