2-747-639 - Heritage Art/Heritage Images

Violin Player with a Wine Glass, 1623. A native of Utrecht, Dirck van Baburen spent several years in Italy and was among the first artists to introduce Caravaggio’s revolutionary style to the Netherlands. From about 1600, the Italian artist’s unsparing naturalism and strong lighting effects had transformed painting throughout Europe. Adopting Caravaggio’s innovations, Baburen positioned his half-length musician so close to the picture plane that he seems to project into our space. Infectious spontaneity and loose, colourful dress marks him as a figure at the edges of society, unbound by behavioral norms—enhanced by his bold gaze, unshaven face, and cheeky grin complete with broken tooth.