Caravaggio's Earliest Painting? 🖼️, Measuring Tips for Portraits 📏, Stolen Taos Works Returned 🚓
And other stories from this week in the realism art movement
🌟 Mainstream
Caravaggio’s Earliest Painting Has Been Found, Expert Claims
Caravaggio’s earliest known painting may have just surfaced. A newly x-rayed canvas once dismissed as a copy reveals hidden figures beneath the famous Boy Peeling Fruit, sparking claims that it’s the original work Caravaggio painted as a broke 20-year-old in Rome. If confirmed, the sleeper hit from a 2024 auction could become one of the year’s biggest rediscoveries.
Two paintings stolen in broad daylight from a New Mexico museum in 1985 have finally been returned after a decades-long mystery. The works were traced back to a seemingly ordinary couple suspected of leading secret lives as art thieves. Now, they’re back on view in Taos as part of The Return of Taos Treasures exhibition.
👩🎨 Artist Features
Artist Snapshot: Patrick King | LINEA
Artist Patrick King reflects on a life shaped by drawing, from childhood sketchbooks to serious watercolor practice. In this wide-ranging interview, he discusses formative influences, artistic perseverance, and what keeps him coming back to the studio, even after major setbacks.
Artist Directory: Joseph Bellofatto
Joseph Bellofatto is a North Carolina-based artist known for his figurative work and portraits that draw on classical traditions. Initially an illustrator in the sci-fi/fantasy genre, he now focuses on conveying themes like beauty and heroism through mediums such as oils and graphite. His work has been exhibited widely across the U.S., earned multiple awards, and he is recognized as an ARC Associate Artist.
🖼 Shows
John Wilson Spent a Lifetime Making Blackness Visible
The Museum of Fine Arts in Boston presents "Witnessing Humanity: The Art of John Wilson," an exhibition celebrating the artist's commitment to making Black lives visible through his diverse body of work, including paintings, sculptures, and children's book illustrations. The show features key pieces like "Black Despair," reflecting the struggles of Black individuals during Wilson's lifetime, and "The Incident," a mural addressing racial violence. Running through June 22, the exhibition will later travel to the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
“Vincent Valdez: Just a Dream…” Is on View Now at MASS MoCA
Vincent Valdez's exhibition, Just a Dream…, at MASS MoCA, highlights his two-decade career as he captures the essence of contemporary American life. The show features a range of media and focuses on the struggles and triumphs of everyday people, challenging traditional symbols of power. Accompanied by a bilingual catalogue, the exhibition is co-curated by Denise Markonish and Patricia Restrepo and will be on view through March 2026.
🎨 Learn
Measuring Techniques for Portrait Drawing
The article compares two techniques for achieving proportion in portrait drawing: Sight-Size Measuring and Comparative Measuring. Sight-Size involves taking direct measurements from a reference at the same scale, making it ideal for accuracy, especially in controlled environments, while Comparative Measuring focuses on relative proportions and angles, allowing for flexibility and quicker execution.
📚 History
The One That Got Away: Why the Frick Doesn’t Have a Single John Singer Sargent Painting
Despite shared circles and mutual admiration, Henry Clay Frick never acquired a painting by John Singer Sargent—though not for lack of trying. A newly published account reveals Sargent turned down Frick’s portrait request, and later, the museum declined to purchase Lady Agnew of Lochnaw, now a beloved highlight of the Scottish National Gallery. The Frick still has no Sargent painting in its permanent collection.
Edvard Munch Was a Magician of Light
The National Portrait Gallery in London presents the first chronological survey of Edvard Munch's portraits, highlighting his diverse technical skill and psychological depth beyond his famous work "The Scream."
I hope you enjoyed this edition of The Classical Realist.
Best regards,
Fletcher Graham