The Merry Drinker

Ter Brugghen borrowed the idea of painting this earthy character with bad teeth from Bartolomeo Manfredi. The Roman Caravaggist was the first to paint male half-lengths drinking amusedly to the viewer. Starting in 1624, Ter Brugghen preferred to paint figures with a bare shoulder, accentuated by soft light. During this period, his palette was darker than it had been previously, allowing us to date this picture at around 1625.