the flemish art dealer daniel nys was tasked by charles i with acquiring the gonzaga collection and easily recognised it as a work by correggio despite its lack of a signature. his correspondence mentions a "madonna by correggio with the head of st. joseph" which for unknown reasons was one of the works which had not reached nys at venice - this seems to be "the holy family with saint jerome". the fact that nys wrote in 1628 lamenting the work's absence and stating "it must be found" shows the high value he placed on it.