Old painting Young man with a pipe, oil on canvas, 18th century

Oil painting on canvas. The painting features a half-length portrait of a young man who, in his nightgown, is lighting his pipe by drawing fire from a candle placed in front of him on the table, where a sword is also resting: he may be a young knight in a moment of rest. It is precisely the candle, the only source of light in the scene, that suggests the artist was inspired by the works of Georges De La Tour (1593-1652), the French Caravaggesque painter known for his "nocturnal" scenes, characterised by figures, usually of low status rather than historical models or high-ranking characters, illuminated by candlelight to create a particular atmosphere of intimacy. The painting, restored and re-canvas-mounted, is presented in a period frame.