The Cardsharps

"The Cardsharps" by Caravaggio is a celebrated painting from the Italian Baroque period, housed at the Kimbell Art Museum since 1987. Renowned for his dramatic and lifelike style, Caravaggio created this piece at a pivotal point in his career when he was beginning to establish his reputation.

The painting depicts a gripping scene of two young boys playing cards, with one slyly cheating using hidden cards and a dagger, while an older man observes. This work, along with Caravaggio's earlier painting "The Fortune Teller" underscores his exceptional ability to portray street life with remarkable detail and psychological depth.

The history of "The Cardsharps" is fascinating. It originally belonged to Cardinal Francesco Del Monte, Caravaggio's first major patron. Over the years, the painting changed hands multiple times until it vanished in the 1890s. It resurfaced in a private collection in Zurich in 1987 before being acquired by the Kimbell Art Museum in Fort Worth, Texas.

There has been some controversy over the authenticity of various copies and versions of the painting attributed to Caravaggio. In 2006, British art historian Denis Mahon purchased a copy, asserting that it was an authentic replica by Caravaggio himself. This claim led to a legal dispute with Sotheby's regarding the painting's authenticity.