August 24, 2003
Highlights: 12/11/02
The Candle Light Painters. This was not a movement, not a style, and it wasn't even a community of artists. Quite simply, the Candle Light Painters were artists who painted scenes in which a candle was the only source of illumination. They created wonderful effects of light and dark, dramatic scenes in which the candle light is a major player. Although Caravaggio was the initial inspiration for this type of tenebrism (working with darkness), he did not actually use artificial light in his works. It was his followers who started it. It may be that Gerrit Honthorst was the first of the Caravaggisti to create candle light paintings.
In this, one of the earliest candle light paintings, Honthorst creates a mood with the single candle. The light shines primarily on Christ, and only partially illuminates Pilate. The rest of the scene is in darkness, irrelevant to the story. Caravaggio was famous for his dramatic, stage-like images. This scene is also presented as though it is on stage, with the actors posed so that the candle creates the greatest effect.
This image is probably the inspiration for the painting of St. Irene by Georges de La Tour (below). We see the same use of the candle light for dramatic effect. The light shines brightest on Delilah’s face, as she is the center of attention. It only marginally illuminates the servant and the sleeping form of Samson.
While obviously inspired by the above painting, it is still very different. The viewer is presented with a still-life tableau, captured in dramatic detail by the torchlight. The players in the scene stand posed like statues. In his later works like this one, La Tour tended to erase small details in his paintings, like buttons, folds, creases and character lines on faces and skin. The smooth skin shines in the torchlight, allowing for the light to play on broad, smooth planes.
This is one of the most tender images created by any of the Candle Light Painters. The image is called the Newborn, but it has also been refered to as “Mary, Christ and St. Anne”. It is thought that the La Tour painted his daughter, wife and grandchild. The baby is remarkably lifelike, with the face of a real newborn and not an older child or small adult. The candle serves to focus the light on the baby, who is center stage. La Tour was fond of having his models shield the candle with their hands so as to direct and focus the light.
Two other painters who came much later are Godfried Schalcken and Richard Wright of Derby. I present one image by each of them below.
I just wanted to show that this particular painting phenomenon continued in smaller circles for many years. These 4 artists are by no means the only painters of this genre, but they are fine examples of it.
Posted by Alexandra at August 24, 2003 07:47 AMOne of Gerrit van Honthorst's most striking candle light paintings, I think, is The Denial of St. Peter in the Minneapolis Institute of Arts. The way the candle lights the face of the accusing maidservant and her hand clutching his robe, and the way Peter's frightened face is lit only by half light, lends enormous drama to the scene. (The expressions of Peter's other accusers are also depicted with great skill and variety.)
Posted by: Mike Kelly at August 29, 2003 09:21 AMWhat a great post!
(I think you might have an unclosed "center" tag somewhere in your HTML, though. It's cascading down into every post after this one.)
I noticed that centering thing when I saw the site on a PC, but it looks fine on my iMac. I can't figure it out.
Posted by: Alexandra at August 29, 2003 07:57 PMEureka! The problem is the "close center" tag right after the very first painting in this post. The tag is there, but it is lacking its closing right-bracket. I'll bet if you put that bracket in, everything will work fine.
As for the difference between PCs and your Mac, I suspect that the browser you're using on your Mac is set up to trap such things. But Macs are still a wayward cult who will be dealt with....heh heh heh....