
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)








This article was featured in the InsideHook newsletter. Sign up now.