Bernardo Cavallino

Bernardo Cavallino painted small, intimate religious and biblical scenes with graceful figures, soft, shimmering light and a strong sense of theatre. He moved from dark Caravaggesque shadow toward a lighter, more luminous palette.

He was born in Naples in 1616 and trained under Massimo Stanzione, and he may also have learned from Ribera or Aniello Falcone. He worked in Naples throughout his short career, mostly for private collectors rather than churches. He is considered one of the most original painters in Naples in the first half of the seventeenth century. About eighty paintings are attributed to him, but fewer than ten are signed. His Saint Cecilia in Ecstasy is in the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence, and his Woman Playing the Clavichord is in Lyon. He died in Naples in 1656.

In Esther and Ahasuerus, look at the elegant, dance-like poses and the soft sheen of the fabrics.