Virginia Fowler

Wed, Aug 20th 2025 at 12:40 pm - 2:00 pm

"Les Caravage de Philippe de Bethune"

The speaker was member of the Club, Virginia Fowler, who spoke of her research topic for her MPhil degree into Les Caravages de Phillipe de Béthune. Phillipe, a French nobleman and a collector of early Italian paintings, served as the French Ambassador to Rome in the early 1600’s during the time that Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio was living and working there. Through his personal contacts with one of Carravagio's patrons, Phillipe de Bethune acquired and brought back to France two paintings. Virginia’s research arose from the discovery, while she was studying in France, of the two paintings in a small, insignificant church in the town of Loches - which is twinned with St. Andrews. The paintings became the subject of much professional discussion as to their authenticity -were they original Carravagio works or simply copies (as was very much part of art culture during this Baroque period)? A coat of arms was displayed on the paintings which, research has indicated, was that of Phillipe de Bethune. The provenance of the two works, now on display in a purpose built facility in the town of Loches, remains an item of ongoing discussion. Gordon Wowk gave the vote of thanks