Back to photostream

The Musicians' Brawl, c. 1625

Georges de La Tour

French, 1593-1652

Oil on canvas

J. Paul Getty Museum

 

My first thought; is this a Dutch or Flemish painting? No it's French and I always think of de La Tour, using candle light to express mood in his paintings.

 

Here a brawling musician lifts his arm, squeezing lemon juice into the eyes of his supposedly blind opponent. The impostor's guide gasps with dismay while the two spectators at right knowingly laugh at the spectacle of deception revealed. An early work by La Tour, this painting exhibits sharp diagonal rhythms, rapid calligraphic brushwork, and swift modulations in coloring that resonate with the violence of the subject.

 

1,595 views
5 faves
4 comments
Uploaded on January 19, 2011
Taken on December 3, 2010