The Utrecht Caravaggisti

The Utrecht Caravaggisti were a group of artists active in Utrecht who travelled to Rome at the turn of the Seventeenth Century. Upon their return to the Netherlands, they brought influence from Italy back with them, namely the style of Caravaggio who dominated the art scene across Italy. The style demanded a dark palette, characterised with intense shadows against stark highlights. The resulting effect is striking, bringing a sense of drama to the scene.

Dirck van Baburen (1590-1624) was one of the Dutch Cararavaggisti whose work takes on the style of Caravaggio. His contemporaries Gerrit van Honthorst, Dirck van Baburen, and Hendrick ter brugghen were all in Italy at the turn of the century, and they were responsible for bringing the style up to the lowlands. The hotspot for the movement was centred in Utrecht, where these artists established their trade, and changed the Northern European art scene in the following decades.

Man Playing a Jew's Harp

This work by Dirck van Baburen presents a young man playing with a Jew's harp. The subject is depicted alone and is depicted as a half figure in the composition, a common trait in the Dutch Caravaggisti movement. The light is projected onto his face from an unknown light source, creating a dramatic projection of light across the subject’s face. He gazes out towards the viewer as he blows the instrument, accompanied with distressed sheets of manuscript on the table. The light is further accentuated by the long shadow, which is cast across the wall, similar to the treatment of light expressed by Caravaggio.