The Cardsharps
M-DEMO-CARAVAGGIO-001- Artist:
- Caravaggio (Michelangelo Merisi) (Italian), 1571–1610
- Date:
- c. 1594
- Medium:
- Oil on canvas
- Dimensions:
- 94.2 cm × 130.9 cm (37.1 in × 51.5 in)
- Current Owner:
- Kimbell Art Museum, Fort Worth, Texas
This report documents the provenance of Caravaggio's "The Cardsharps" (I Bari), painted circa 1594 during the artist's early Roman period.
The painting is one of Caravaggio's first major genre scenes, depicting a naive young man being cheated at cards by two sharpers. It was created for Cardinal Francesco Maria Del Monte, Caravaggio's first important patron, and remained in prominent Roman collections for centuries.
The work passed through the Del Monte and Barberini families before entering private European collections in the 19th century. After being rediscovered in 1987 by the renowned Caravaggio scholar Sir Denis Mahon, it was acquired by the Kimbell Art Museum in Fort Worth, Texas, where it remains a centerpiece of their Baroque collection.
Key Strengths:
Methodology:
This report was generated using Maros's AI-powered document analysis, cross-referencing publicly available archival records, museum documentation, exhibition catalogs, and scholarly publications. Confidence scores reflect the quality and consistency of source documentation.