Great Masters

For many years and until recently the life of Jean Valentin de Boulogne called Moses Valentin remained unknown.

Born in Coulommiers in 1591, Jean was presumably the son of a glass-painter and was quite probably linked to the famous Boullongne family of painters. No one knows whether he worked as an apprentice in Paris or Fontainebleau but it has been established that he went to Rome at a young age, most probably around 1612. His name Moses, given during his stay in Italy might have in fact derived from the word «Monsu» (Mister) given by natives to French visitors.

No documents have survived regarding the start of his career in Rome and it has been suggested that he worked under Simon Vouet, another Frenchman who had settled there. Still, he adoped Vouet's sombre manner following Caravaggio's example and working also under the influence of Manfredi.

One thing is for sure : in 1627 he was already successful, enjoying the protection of the Barberini family for which he painted many works. Unfortunately most of these were lost apart from the Allegory of Rome. In 1629 he received an order to paint a martyrdom scene for the St Peter Basilica while many patrons were seeking his works.

Among his best paintings of the 1618-1630 period were the «Sharper», inspired by Caravaggio, now in the Museum of Dresden, «St John the Baptist», now in a private collection, «Jesus and the woman of Samaria», «Noli me Tangere», in Perugia, the famous «Jesus evicting the merchants from the Temple», in the Corsini Gallery in Rome, the tragic «Judith» from the musée des Augustins in Toulouse and «The Reunion in a public-house», in the Louvre museum.

Jean Boulogne's mature works were «The Last Supper», in the Gallery Corsini, where Jesus' companions were represented as ordinary people with striking humanlike features, notably St John shown asleep on a corner of the table, the «Concert» and the «Fortune Teller», in the Louvre as well as a «Luth Player», in a private collection.

Among his last works, were a Saint Jerome and a Saint John the Baptist were rediscovered in a small church of Camerino as well as «Christ with the woman of Samaria», in a private collection, «The Allegory of Rome», in the Finnish Institute of Rome, the tragic « Sacrifice of Isaac» in Montreal and «The Reunion with a Fortune Teller», in Pommersfelden, which probably was the last painting he produced.

At 41, after spending a whole night drinking, Jean de Boulogne dipped his head under the cold water of a fountain probably in order to clear up his mind and caught a cold which caused his death at 41 a few days later on August 20th 1632.

Jean was the only Caravagesque French painter who remained in Rome during his career and as such could not be considered strictly as a member of the French school since he worked only under the influence of Italian artists. Still, he has been attached to that movement of French painters who stuck to daily reality in their works, such as Vouet, Sebastien Bourdon and the Le Nain brothers.