Artwork
The Image of Saint Alexis
The Image of Saint Alexis is an oil painting by the Caravaggisti artist Georges de La Tour. It dates from 1632 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Ireland.
About this work
Overview
Created circa 1632, The Image of Saint Alexis is an oil painting by Georges de La Tour, a French Baroque artist who worked chiefly in the Duchy of Lorraine. The work is part of the National Gallery of Ireland’s collection and exemplifies La Tour’s characteristic use of candle‑lit illumination to model figures in a dark setting.
Subject & Meaning
The composition shows a young boy in a red‑white jacket holding a torch that throws a warm glow onto a reclining man. The man, dressed in a gray shirt with a gold belt, rests with his eyes closed, his expression tranquil and contemplative. The torch’s light focuses attention on the saint’s serene visage, suggesting a moment of devotional reflection.
Technique & Style
La Tour employs chiaroscuro, creating stark contrasts between the luminous torchlight and the surrounding darkness. The light defines the contours of the figures, giving them a three‑dimensional presence while the deep shadows recede, a hallmark of the Caravaggesque approach that La Tour adapted to his own restrained palette and quiet narrative tone.
History & Provenance
The painting entered the National Gallery of Ireland in the early twentieth century, though its precise acquisition path is not fully documented. It has remained in the museum’s holdings, where it is displayed as a representative example of La Tour’s religious oeuvre.
Context
La Tour’s work reflects the influence of Caravaggio’s dramatic lighting, as well as the artistic milieu of Lorraine, where he interacted with contemporaries such as Jacques Callot and the Le Nain brothers. The Image of Saint Alexis fits within the broader Baroque interest in intimate, candle‑lit scenes that convey spiritual introspection.
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
Artist
Georges de La Tour (French pronunciation:; 13 March 1593 – 30 January 1652) was a French Baroque painter, who spent most of his working life in the Duchy of Lorraine, which was temporarily absorbed into France between 1641 and 1648.
