Ends February 22, 2026
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Anyone who's ever come across the dark paintings of Georges de La Tour (1593-1652) won't soon forget his work, and today he stands as one of the most captivating and enigmatic figures of French Baroque painting.
Born in the small town of Vic-sur-Seille in Lorraine, La Tour spent much of his career in nearby Lunéville, where he achieved considerable success, and even earned the title "Painter to the King" under Louis XIII. After his death he fell into near-total obscurity - ironically the same obscurity that had become his trademark - only to be dramatically rediscovered in the 20th century when in 1915 a German art historian published a groundbreaking article identifying several unsigned or mislabeled works as La Tour's, pulling him (literally) back from the shadows.
La Tour’s name is synonymous with chiaroscuro and tenebrity. His nocturnal compositions, illuminated by the soft glow of a single candle or hidden light source, combine profound realism, an almost meditative stillness. Far from the dramatic theatricality of Caravaggio (whose influence reached him indirectly), La Tour’s somber luminosity creates an atmosphere that feels deeply intimate. - BPJ
