Valentin and the Problem of Painting from Life
Valentin de Boulogne (French, 1591–1632). Crowning with Thorns, ca. 1627–28. Oil on canvas, 51 15/16 x 37 15/16 in. (132 x 96.3 cm). Bayerische Staatsgemäldesammlungen München-Alte Pinakothek, Munich
«In a recent New York Times article, Kerry James Marshall, a leading exponent of figurative painting, was quoted as saying, "Working from live models is too much trouble." I was struck by this comment, since the realist revolution spearheaded by Caravaggio and carried to another level by Valentin de Boulogne was based on the idea that an effect of compelling physical presence in a painting could not be achieved without working directly from posed models. The question at hand for these artists was how to endow those models holding a pose with the appearance of the potential of movement—the appearance of life.»
I've been thinking about this matter for the last 30 years and wrote an essay with my thoughts on this in the exhibition catalogue that accompanies Valentin de Boulogne: Beyond Caravaggio. Examination with infrared imaging has revealed Valentin's brilliantly innovative solution: He boldly brushed in preliminary ideas for the placement of figures, but invariably worked directly from models, of which he employed a stable of favorites (to be discussed in a future post).
Infrared image of Crowning with Thorns revealing the initial positioning of the figures, which were brushed on broadly in black. Photo courtesy of the Bayerische Staatsgemäldesammlungen München-Alte Pinakothek. Image by Lars Raffelt © Doerner Institut, Bayerische Staatsgemäldesammlungen, Munich
The new dynamic was among the artist, the posed models, and the canvas on which he worked, effectively eliminating the elaborate preparation of compositional drawings that led to a highly finished cartoon—the normal practice of Renaissance masters such as Raphael and Michelangelo. This gives Valentin's paintings a depth of humanity that would be considered rare at any time in art history.
Related Links
Valentin de Boulogne: Beyond Caravaggio, on view at The Met Fifth Avenue through January 22, 2017
Keith Christiansen
Keith Christiansen began his career as assistant curator in 1977 and between 2009 and 2021 was the John Pope-Hennessy Chairman of European Paintings. In his forty-four years at the Museum, he collaborated in the organization of over twenty exhibitions on Italian, Spanish and French artists. He has taught at Columbia University and the Institute of Fine Arts at New York University and was the Clarence and Ruth Wedgewood Kennedy Professor in Renaissance Studies at Smith College (1999) and guest professor at Vassar (2006). In addition to the many acquisitions he pursued that have enriched the Museum’s collection, he has published widely and is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and Chevalier dans l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, conferred by the Ministry of Arts in France.
Selected publications
MetPublications: Selected publications by Keith Christiansen