Hendrick ter Brugghen

Hendrick ter Brugghen was one of the leading Utrecht Caravaggists. His half-length musicians and drinkers and his religious scenes use strong light and shadow, but with cooler, paler colours than Caravaggio’s own.

Born in The Hague, he trained in Utrecht with Abraham Bloemaert and then spent about ten years in Italy, where he saw Caravaggio’s work at first hand. Back in Utrecht he painted biblical subjects and single figures of flute players, bagpipers and singers. His Calling of Saint Matthew is in the Centraal Museum in Utrecht, and his Adoration of the Magi is in the Rijksmuseum.

Bagpipe Player and Boy Playing a Fife show his realistic, down-to-earth figures lit by bright light.