Gerrit van Honthorst

Gerrit van Honthorst's (b. 1590, Utrecht - d. 1656, Utrecht) night paintings caused such a sensation in Rome that he was known as Gherardo delle Notti (Gerard of the Night Scenes). An Utrecht native and son of a painter of tapestry cartoons, Honthorst's reputation was made with these nocturnal pictures, usually religious subjects. A single candle served as the light sourc...