Prince William V Gallery to display Caravaggio’s Boy Bitten by a Lizard

The Prince William V Gallery in The Hague is to display Caravaggio’s Boy Bitten by a Lizard, on loan from the National Gallery London, in an exhibition on display from 11 October to 8 December 2013.

Caravaggio’s paintings created quite a stir around 1600. Contemporaries were astounded that he made no preparatory drawings and worked directly from live models. Some were unable to reconcile his raw depictions with the exalted, religious subjects of his paintings. Others were bowled over by the passionate and intense world he presented to them and were queuing up to own one of his works.

Boy Bitten by a Lizard displays all the hallmarks of Caravaggio’s new painting style:

– Honest and true to life, not idealised.

– Vivid contrasts of light and shade, creating a powerful sense of space and drama.

– By homing in on the action, Caravaggio engages the viewer directly and heightens the sense of emotion.

The Prison Gate Museum (Museum de Gevangenpoort) and Prince William V Gallery (Galerij Prins Willem V)opened their doors to the public on 2 September 2010. These two historic buildings on the Hofvijver have just completed extensive renovation and refurbishment. The new complex will offer visitors the opportunity to explore a centuries-old complex that tells the story of legal and royal power in the Netherlands from the thirteenth to the nineteenth century. At the Prison Gate Museum, the building and collection show how Dutch prisoners were incarcerated, tried and punished; at the Prince William V Gallery, visitors will encounter an eighteenthcentury royal collection.