Georges de La Tour (1593–1652), was a French Baroque painter who mostly painted religious chiaroscuro scenes lit by candlelight. Heavily influenced by Caravaggio, his paintings mirror Caravaggio’s dramatic contrast between light and dark tones within the work. However, while Caravaggio painted dramatic religious imagery, La Tour’s work is simpler. This idea of simpler work was honed throughout his career as his later works move even further towards greater simplicity in composition and subject matter. He was known for painting several variations on the same subject matter, giving the modern world a relative small output.
The Smoker / Joseph the Carpenter, 1642 / Saint Jerome Reading
