The author holds three colors in front of a concert scene by Valentin de Boulogne (French, 1591–1632) in the Musée du Louvre, Paris, this past June. (Pay no attention to the sweater: it is not a color option!) All photos by the author
«I have loved the great French painter Valentin de Boulogne since my visits to the Louvre in the 1970s, when his work hung in the Grande Gallerie, now taken over by the Italian Renaissance. This was not because Valentin was one of the greatest of Caravaggio's followers—though that's the way he's usually described in art-history survey courses—but because his paintings have a uniquely human dimension.»
So my excitement has been rising as we near the October 7 opening of the exhibition Valentin de Boulogne: Beyond Caravaggio, which will be on view at The Met Fifth Avenue through January 16, 2017, at which point it moves to Paris for a February opening at the Musée du Louvre.
On a recent trip to Paris and Madrid, I took the opportunity to look at colors for the gallery and posted the images on my Instagram account. Most respondents have gone for the blue at the left. What about you—which shade do you prefer? I want this exhibition to be perfect, so that others can share in my passion for this truly great artist.
Two colleagues hold color samples alongside Valentin de Boulogne's Martyrdom of Saint Lawrence in the Museo del Prado, Madrid. Exactly how many hands does it take to reach a decision?
Related Links
Valentin de Boulogne: Beyond Caravaggio, on view at The Met Fifth Avenue from October 7, 2016, through January 16, 2017
Now at The Met: Keith Christiansen, "Getting Ready for Valentin de Boulogne's Big Day" (January 25, 2016)