A Young Man Reading by Candlelight

Additional texteExhibition text: The influence of Northern painters is evident in night scenes that combine Caravaggio’s naturalistically rendered figures and bold chiaroscuro with artificial light sources. The intensity of the young man’s expression as he reads by glowing candlelight conveys contemporary ideas about virtue and assiduousness. Aesthetic as well as contemplative pleasure is derived from the artist’s skill in rendering the taut young skin, golden yellow gradations of reflected light and harmonious colours. Exhibition text: Nowhere is the influence of Northern painters more visible than in night scenes that combine the naturalistically rendered figures and bold chiaroscuro of Caravaggio’s paintings with light from artificial sources. Stom’s diligent young man is shown studying by glowing candlelight. The intensity of the reader’s studious expression conveys contemporary ideas centred on virtue and assiduousness. Much aesthetic as well as contemplative pleasure can be derived from the artist’s skill in rendering the taut young skin and the golden yellow gradations of reverberating light that modulates the harmonious colours.