Young Boy By Candlelight, Wolfgang Heimbac (1615-1678) Attributed

Attributed to Wolfgang Heimbac (1615-1678) Oil on canvas Dimensions: 54 x 43 cm Very fine 17th-century carved and gilded wooden frame The painter Wolfgang Heimbac (1615-1678) presents us with the portrait of a young man holding a candle in his right hand, hidden by his left. His face, framed by dark curls of hair, is the only part of his face illuminated. He wears a brown suit with a beige collar and a glowing red hat, the only touch of color in this monochrome palette of browns. Caravaggio, Georges de La Tour, and so many others masterfully popularized nocturnal scenes and the subtle use of chiaroscuro. Wolfgang Heimbac (1615-1678) was a German painter from Olendburg who, despite being deaf, traveled extensively and spent almost his entire career on the road. Around 1630, he left Olendburg for the Northern Netherlands to further his training and refine his skills, likely passing through Amsterdam, Haarlem, Delft, and Utrecht. During his travels, he would have developed a remarkable adaptability, evolving his work to meet changing demands. In Rome, he painted the portrait of Pope Innocent X; in Florence, he worked for the Medici; and in Denmark, he was court painter to Frederick III. It was by copying Willem Duyster's painting "The Officer with the Candle" that he became familiar with this technique. The use of candles as a light source in interiors was developed by Gerard van Honthorst and Georges de La Tour.