The Newborn by Georges de La Tour: the light of the world

This article is from the Figaro special edition "Georges de La Tour, Shadows and Lights". Immerse yourself in the mystery of La Tour and the understanding of his work in 160 magnificently illustrated pages.

This is one of the master's most famous paintings. The Newborn is in the center of the painting, his head and body swaddled, on the knees of a very young woman. To the left, another, slightly older woman, holds a candle, covering the flame. The light is attracted by the face and body wrapped in swaddling clothes of the infant. On his face, we can see a light layer of sweat shining on the sides of his nose. He breathes silently, his eyes closed, his face turned towards his mother. He is a child full of a perfect and yet unfinished life.

His mother doesn't press him against her. She holds him on her knees and presents him to the other woman, to herself, to the spectator. Her eyes are lost in the serious and smiling contemplation of the newborn, and perhaps further away, elsewhere, in...