Old Woman Praying
late 1630s or early 1640s
Medium
Oil on canvas
Dimensions
30 5/8 x 25 1/8 in. (77.8 x 63.8 cm)
Classification
Paintings
Department
European Paintings
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Ian Woodner, 1981
Accession Number
1981.25
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the hushed intimacy of Matthias Stom's *Old Woman Praying*late 1630s or early 1640s), an elderly devotee clasps her rosary beads in fervent prayer, her face illuminated by a soft, divine light against a dark void. This oil-on-canvas, measuring 30 5/8 x 25 1/8 inches, exemplifies Stom's mastery as a Caravaggisti—a Dutch artist who trained in Amsterdam but absorbed the dramatic tenebrism of Caravaggio during his time in Italy. His technique employs stark chiaroscuro contrasts, where beams of light carve out wrinkled skin and folded hands, evoking raw emotion and spiritual depth typical of 17t...