Georges de La Tour

Key facts

Lived

1593–1652, Duchy of Lorraine

Movements

• Neoclassicism
• Baroque

Works held in

23 museums

• Magdalene with the Smoking Flame

  Louvre

  Paris, France

  7 works

  Museum details

Plan your visit to see Georges de La Tour →

• Georges de la tour artwork?+

  Georges de La Tour painted "The Paid Money" around 1630-1635, which is oil on canvas. It was originally attributed to Honthorst during the nineteenth century, but it was attributed to La Tour only in 1970.
• Georges de la tour paintings?+

  The biography mentions that Georges de La Tour painted "Joseph the Carpenter", "The Newborn", and "The Dream of Saint Joseph".
• What is Georges de La Tour's most famous work?+

  It is difficult to name one single "most famous" work by Georges de La Tour; several paintings vie for the title. The Louvre owns a version of *The Cheat with the Ace of Diamonds* (circa 1647), a moralising genre painting in the style of Caravaggio. It depicts a wealthy young man being swindled at cards by tricksters. The painting uses light to create drama, and the figures are simplified into geometric shapes. Another well-known work is *Christ with St Joseph in the Carpenter's Shop* (circa 1640), also held at the Louvre. It portrays Joseph and the young Christ Child in a muted domestic scene, illuminated by a single candle. Multiple versions of *The Penitent Magdalene* exist; one example (circa 1638-1643) is in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. This intimate candlelit scene captures Mary Magdalene at the moment of her conversion. La Tour's paintings often feature stark contrasts between light and shadow, a technique he employed to create a sense of intimacy and draw the viewer into the scene.
• What should I know about Georges de La Tour's prints?+

  Georges de La Tour (1593-1652) was a French painter. Working in Lorraine, he is known for his use of light and shadow, relating to the Caravaggesque tradition. His style can seem simplistic, with sparse forms and bare designs. He may have seemed unconventional to classicists. His paintings often feature religious subjects, such as Magdalen, Saint Jerome, and Saint Joseph. For example, The Repentant Magdalen concentrates on the period Magdalen spent lamenting her past. The painting shows her lost in thought, caressing a skull, a vanitas motif. A candle, the only light source, is masked by the skull. The artist also painted genre scenes, such as Woman Removing Fleas, transforming a popular theme with simple gestures and light to emphasise the solitude of a private moment. The Paid Money (circa 1630-1635) depicts a religious subject, perhaps the payment of tribute money.
• What style or movement did Georges de La Tour belong to?+

  Georges de La Tour is generally associated with the Baroque style, although his work also shows the influence of other artistic trends. Active primarily in Lorraine, France, he was one of many painters affected by Caravaggio's style. This influence is evident in La Tour's realism, dramatic use of light and shadow (tenebrism), and depictions of humble figures. Some scholars note a geometric simplicity in his figures that recalls early Italian Renaissance painters such as Piero della Francesca. This can be seen, for example, in the oval face of the seated woman in *The Cheat with the Ace of Diamonds*. La Tour's mature works moved away from realism and Caravaggesque style. His nocturnal scenes, such as *Christ with St Joseph in the Carpenter's Shop*, align with Parisian tastes, rejecting uncontrolled passions and appealing to willpower and moral law. His paintings fit into a context referencing Corneille's *Le Cid*, Descartes's *Discourse on Method*, and Poussin's *Manna*.
• What techniques or materials did Georges de La Tour use?+

  Georges de La Tour's precise methods are not fully known, but some inferences can be made from his finished works. La Tour favoured smooth, unbroken paint surfaces. This suggests he used soft hair brushes and a fluid oil medium, possibly thinned with turpentine spirit. Linseed oil, which dries more quickly than walnut oil, was likely used to temper his pigments. He does not appear to have employed coarse bristle brushes or a thick oil medium to create impasto effects. Some scholars have noted La Tour's interest in effects of light and shadow. The light areas are thickly painted, with brushwork that varies to suit the rendering of materials. The shadows and dark background are thinly done. A zone of dark grey, in which a little ochre colour occurs, sometimes runs along the outline of the cloak; this may be a retouch to fill in the background.
• What was Georges de La Tour known for?+

  Georges de La Tour (born in Vic-sur-Seille in 1593, died in Lunéville in 1652) is known for his religious scenes and his treatment of light. His paintings often feature starkly illuminated figures emerging from dark backgrounds. This style has links to the work of the Caravaggisti; some of his works were previously attributed to other painters such as Valentin and Honthorst. La Tour spent his entire life in Lorraine, a province of France. From 1620 onward, he lived in Lunéville. The plague and war devastated the area in the following decade; all traces of the artist and most of his early works were lost. His paintings include "The Cheat with the Ace of Diamonds", "The Fortune Teller", "The Penitent Magdalene", and "Joseph the Carpenter". The King of France liked one of La Tour's paintings so much that he removed all works by other painters from his chambers.
• When did Georges de La Tour live and work?+

  Georges de La Tour was born in Vic-sur-Seille in 1593. He died in Lunéville in 1652, a victim of an epidemic fever that also killed his wife. Although the exact details of his training remain uncertain, it likely occurred in Nancy. Some speculate that La Tour travelled to Italy between 1610 and 1616; this would account for his familiarity with Caravaggio's work. From 1620 onwards, La Tour's presence is documented in Lunéville, his wife's home town. He lived there for many years, establishing himself both socially and artistically. The region of Lorraine suffered greatly in the following decade; plague and war devastated it. Lunéville, a garrison centre, was plundered, and traces of the artist and his early work disappeared. By 1643, La Tour had returned to Lunéville, where he remained until his death.
• Where can I see Georges de La Tour's work?+

  Paintings by Georges de La Tour can be found in museums and collections across Europe and North America. In France, his works are held in the Musée des Beaux-Arts, Caen; Musée des Beaux-Arts, Cherbourg; and Musée Condé, Chantilly. Other European museums include the National Gallery of Ireland, Dublin; National Gallery of Scotland, Edinburgh; Hermitage Museum, Leningrad; Staatliche Kunsthalle, Karlsruhe; and Niedersächsische Landesgalerie, Hanover. In the United States, La Tour's paintings can be viewed at the Art Institute of Chicago; the Detroit Institute of Arts; the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; the Fogg Art Museum, Harvard University, Cambridge; the Wadsworth Atheneum, Hartford; and the Nelson Gallery-Atkins Museum, Kansas City. These locations provide opportunities to view a range of La Tour's pieces, offering insight into his artistic style and themes.
• Where was Georges de La Tour from?+

  Georges de La Tour was from the Lorraine region of France. He was born in Vic-sur-Seille in 1593, to a family of bakers. In 1617, La Tour married Diane Le Nerf, who came from an ennobled family of cloth merchants from Lunéville, also in Lorraine. La Tour and his wife spent the rest of their lives in Lunéville. He died there in 1652, of an epidemic fever that had also killed his wife. Although he spent his career in Lorraine, some scholars have suggested La Tour may have travelled to Italy or the Netherlands. Gaps in the documentation pertaining to the artist from 1610 to 1611, and again from 1639 to 1642, have caused some to speculate that he visited Italy to view works by Caravaggio, or the Netherlands to study paintings of the Dutch Baroque style. A document from 1701 refers to La Tour as a pupil of Guido Reni, though records of his travels to Italy have not been found.
• Who did Georges de La Tour influence?+

  Georges de La Tour's paintings show the influence of Caravaggio and his circle. Many French painters of the early seventeenth century were affected by Caravaggio, but the means by which they encountered his style is not clear. La Tour's knowledge of Caravaggio might be explained by a journey to Italy between 1610 and 1616. However, some studies claim La Tour was unusual, developing a modern and individual style. Originally, some works by La Tour were misattributed to other Caravaggesque painters, especially Valentin de Boulogne and Gerard Honthorst. La Tour's style moved toward simplified compositions and stylised figures. He attributed a moral value to realism, which aligned with the severe style of French classicism.
• Who influenced Georges de La Tour?+

  Georges de La Tour, who lived from 1593 to 1652, absorbed several artistic influences, though the exact routes of exposure remain unclear. He spent his career in the French province of Lorraine. Despite limited travel, his paintings suggest knowledge of broader artistic trends. Many painters of his era felt the influence of Caravaggio. La Tour's candlelit scenes, featuring warm reds and browns, evoke Caravaggio's luminous style. The bright light and deep shadows in paintings such as *The Cheat with the Ace of Diamonds* (circa 1647) also show this connection. Some scholars originally attributed his painting *The Paid Money* (circa 1630-1635) to Honthorst. However, in 1970, experts reattributed it to La Tour. Furthermore, the geometric simplicity of La Tour's figures, such as the oval face in *The Cheat with the Ace of Diamonds*, recalls early Italian Renaissance painters like Piero della Francesca.