Appears in exhibition catalog as entry no. 87 (Sale info: For Sale).
"These are two grand specimens of Caravaggio. He was the author of that manner in which he painted, which was strong, and had a powerful effect by the bold opposition of light and shadows. He took nature for his model of every object that he introduced into his compositions, but wanted judgment either to correct or improve nature, and imitated indiscriminately the beauties and defects of his models. It is reported of him that he always chose to work in a room where the light descended from above. His style of painting was so new, and so surprising, that most of the great men, his cotemporaries, studied to imitate it; among whom were dominichino, guido, guercino, and others. The two former very soon after quitted that manner, observing that it wanted variety, the lights being the same in all sorts of subjects, and the taste of design being very indifferent; but Guercino still adhered to it, as well as Valentio and Manfredi. the chief excellence of Caravaggio consisted in colouring; but many of his pictures are truly fine and admirably finished, with great mellowness of pencil. At first he painted fruit and flowers; but afterwards, in the decline of his age, devoted all his application to historical compositions and portraits. - painted by Michael Angelo Caravaggio, who was born at Caravag- gio, a village in the Milanese, in 1569, died 1609." [P. 12; see serial 03260086 for companion piece.]
Descriptive Catalogue of Original Cabinet Paintings, now arranged in the Gallery, Doggett's Repository of Arts, entrance at No. 16, Market-Street, and may be viewed every day, from 8 in the morning till sunset; being a truly splendid and valuable Collection of one hundred and sixty-four Cabinet Paintings in elegant frames; selected on the Continent of Europe, at the Expense of thirty thousand dollars, and are warranted to comprise the works of the Great Masters, from the 13th Century to the Present Time.
