The Met Offers First Major Exhibition of Remarkable Caravaggio Follower

September 16, 2016 5:00 am
Valentin de Boulogne Exhibit
Valentin de Boulogne, 'The Allegory of Italy,' 1628-29 (Alessandro Vasari/Institute of Finland, Rome/Courtesy of the Metropolitan Museum of Art)
Valentin de Boulogne Exhibit
Valentin de Boulogne, ‘Judith and Holofernes’ (National Museum of Fine Arts, Valetta, Malta/Courtesy of the Metropolitan Museum of Art)

 

When George Harrison admitted that he’d lifted the melody for “My Sweet Lord” from The Chiffons’ “He’s So Fine,” he had to pay up. In the art world, however, when the old masters paid homage to their forebears, it was par for the course. And in one artist’s case, it solidified his legend.

The artist in question? Frenchman Valentin de Boulogne, a 17th-century painter, who expertly aped the style of Caravaggio. (If you’re going to imitate, go for the best.) Therein lies the basis for the first major exhibition of his works, entitled “Valentin de Boulogne: Beyond Caravaggio.” The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York is staging it from October 7, 2016 to January 16, 2017.

If you’ve never heard of the artist, you’re not alone: His works are spread over collections in Rome, Vienna, Munich, Madrid, London, and Paris. Dying at the age of 41, Valentin de Boulogne’s career was short-lived, making his works extremely difficult to track down. Only 60 of his paintings have survived, and the Met will have 45 on display, coming from all the above locations (the Louvre in Paris provided the most).

For more information on the exhibit, click here. Preview some of the works that will be in the exhibition below.

Valentin de Boulogne, ‘Cardsharps (The Cheat),’ circa 1615 (bpk/Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden/Hans-Peter Klut/Courtesy of the Metropolitan Museum of Art)
Valentin de Boulogne Exhibit
Valentin de Boulogne, ‘David and Goliath,’ circa 1616-18 (Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza/Scala, Florence/Courtesy of the Metropolitan Museum of Art)
Valentin de Boulogne Exhibit
Valentin de Boulogne, ‘The Allegory of Italy (detail),’ 1628-29 (Institute of Finland, Rome/Courtesy of the Metropolitan Museum of Art)
Valentin de Boulogne Exhibit
Valentin de Boulogne, ‘The Concert’ (Musée du Louvre, Paris/Franck Raux/Courtesy of the Metropolitan Museum of Art)
Valentin de Boulogne Exhibit
Valentin de Boulogne, ‘The Judgment of Solomon,’ circa 1625-27 (Musée du Louvre/Franck Raux/Courtesy of the Metropolitan Museum of Art)
Valentine de Boulogne Exhibit
Valentin de Boulogne, ‘Judith with the Head of Holofernes,’ circa 1626-27 (bridgemanart.com/Musée des Augustins, Toulouse/Courtesy of the Metropolitan Museum of Art)
Valentin de Boulogne Exhibit
Valentin de Boulogne, ‘Martyrdom of Saints Processus and Martinian’ (Musei Vaticani – Governatorato SCV/Vatican Pinoteca, Rome/Courtesy of the Metropolitan Museum of Art)
Valentin de Boulogne Exhibit
Valentin de Boulogne, ‘Samson,’ 1631 (Howard Agriesti/Cleveland Museum of Art/Courtesy of the Metropolitan Museum of Art)
Valentin de Boulogne Exhibit
Valentin de Boulogne, ‘The Allegory of Italy,’ 1628-29 (Alessandro Vasari/Institute of Finland, Rome/Courtesy of the Metropolitan Museum of Art)
Valentin de Boulogne Exhibit
Valentin de Boulogne, ‘The Lute Player,’ circa 1625-26 (Courtesy of the Metropolitan Museum of Art)

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