A Bravo Smoking
Hendrick ter Brugghen, a Dutch master who caught the 'Caravaggio bug' in Rome, captures a 'bravo'—a 17th-century hired ruffian—caught in a moment of hazy contemplation. Instead of brandishing a sword, this street tough holds a long clay pipe, enjoying tobacco which was a trendy, exotic, and slightly scandalous new import from the Americas. The intense beam of light hitting his face and hand against a dark background (chiaroscuro) gives this low-life subject the majestic presence usually reserved for saints and kings.
- Technique
- Oil on canvas
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