Utrecht School of the 17th century.

Utrecht School of the 17th century.
"Smoker".
Oil on canvas.
Relined.
19th century stretcher frame.
Measurements: 64 x 50 cm; 79 x 66 cm (frame).

This painting is a paradigmatic example of the characteristics that defined the "Caravaggists of Utrecht". The most obvious characteristic is the dramatic use of chiaroscuro. As in Caravaggio's works, the figure emerges from almost total darkness. A single light source, probably a candle outside the painting, intensely illuminates the young man's face and shoulder, leaving the rest in deep shadows. This creates a theatrical, three-dimensional effect.

Rather than prioritizing large historical or religious subjects, Utrecht artists became famous for their genre scenes: depictions of everyday life, often tavern scenes. The "smoker", like drinkers, musicians or card players, was a recurring character representing worldly pleasures and sometimes a moral warning about the transience of life (vanitas).

The figure is depicted half-length and very close to the viewer, creating a sense of immediacy. The artist delights in the realism of the texture of the skin, the folds of the shirt and the surface of the clay pipe.

The act of smoking, then a novelty imported from America, was a popular subject. The long, fragile white clay pipe, like the one held by the young man, was a common object. In this work, the character, dressed in a feathered hat and with his shirt unbuttoned, looks at the viewer with a confident air while holding his cigarette case in his other hand.

This painting was probably inspired by a work by the Dutch artist Hendrick Terbrugghen. Terbrugghen was one of the most important painters of the 17th century Utrecht School and, along with other artists such as Gerard van Honthorst, brought the style of Caravaggio to the Netherlands.