Utrecht school

Utrecht school

Principally a group of three Dutch painters from Utrecht—Dirck van Baburen (c. 1590–1624), Gerrit van Honthorst, and Hendrik Terbrugghen—who were greatly influenced by Caravaggio's art during travels to Rome. They used their newly learned technique in artwork with primarily religious subject matter, but also produced brothel scenes and pictures in sets, such as five works devoted to the senses. The numerous candles, lanterns, and other sources of artificial light in their paintings also differentiate them from Caravaggio, who never used such devices. Honthorst enjoyed the widest reputation at the time, but Terbrugghen is now considered the most talented and versatile of the group.