My grandmother has a painting called "The Cheat" or "The Card Cheat" by Caravaggio?, why no info on the net?

Question

Painting was given to my grandfather by a man in Germany when he was stationed there during World War 2. I cannot find much info about it on the internet. I can however find plenty of info about "The Cardsharps". The paintings are very similar, but in my grandmothers painting, the two young boys are sitting at a table playing cards, and a man is standing in the background with a cape covering his face? There is something written in German on the back of the painting (don't have it in front of me, so I can't elaborate on that right now). Any info would be appreciated.

Guess who... that is what the painting looks like, but it is in color and it is called "the Card Cheat" on my gma's painting.. It has the same characters that are in "the Cardsharps", they are just in different positions. there is one other place I found it on emotioncards.com ? or something like that, it says it is use alot on postcards??

this is the website you can see it at
http://www.emotionscards.com/museum/webpics/playingcardcardcaravaggio.jpg

Answer 1

I'd recommend getting it valued by a major auction house or art valuers...it's potentially extremely valuable. A large amount of Caravaggio's work is missing, and there's an even larger amount that has been uncovered that we never knew existed - so if it's original, it's worth millions. There are many Caravaggio experts, so you should be able to find out more info on the painting by contacting Sotheby's, Christie's, etc etc. Good luck, and let us know what happens!!

Answer 2

you should have your painting appraised by experts. Take a few photos of it and send them to the Metropolitan Museum in NY or other such as Getty Museum or Courtauld Institute in London. Meantime keep it well away from damage or theft. If a real caravaggio it is worth about 90 million dollars minimum

Answer 3

Hi Allison!

Yes, I saw that. I am giving you homework as I'm cross-eyed from searching! I feel like Nancy Drew:) Vivian Krug-Hotchkiss owns Emotion Cards. Here is her contact information. She's in LA. She had to apply for copyright permission from 'someone' for the image. It is part of their "Museum Series" so documentation should well be available. I would absolutely contact the company and ask them for help. Don't give up!!!!
http://www.emotionscards.com/aboutus.html

http://www.emotionscards.com/museum/playingcardcards.html

It is referenced on her site as 'The Cheat' color numbered 12 Dresden Publisher: Granberg, Stockholm. I checked the museum archives as Dr. Granberg appeared to have funded the muesum and found nothing. The painting exists somewhere. I don't know how reliable the net data is. Here is the list for the Dresden Museum: http://www.rijksmuseum.nl/attachments/persmap/List%20of%20works%20RC.doc

Also books for reference: Bernard Berenson, Caravaggio: His Incongruity and His Fame (1953); Walter Friedlaender, Caravaggio Studies (1955, reissued 1974); R.P. Hinks, Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio: His Life, His Legend, His Works (1953); Giuseppe Delogu, Caravaggio (1962); Alfred Moir, Caravaggio (1982); Howard Hibbard, Caravaggio (1983), a synthesis of recent scholarship; and Richard E. Spear, Caravaggio and His Followers, rev. ed. (1975), on the artist's influence on 17th-century European painting.
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There exists an engraving as you describe by Caravaggio called "Cheating Gamblers."

http://images.google.ca/imgres?imgurl=http://www.fotosearch.com/comp/ECC/ECC123/01100039.GIF&imgrefurl=http://www.fotosearch.com/ECC123/01100039/&h=208&w=300&sz=76&hl=en&start=2&tbnid=Fxj-gJWZbNcT1M:&tbnh=80&tbnw=116&prev=/images%3Fq%3DCard%2BCheat%2Bpainting%2Bcaravaggio%26gbv%3D2%26svnum%3D10%26hl%3Den%26ie%3DUTF-8

I wish you good luck!

Answer 4

One reason you may not be able to find much info is due to the theft of art out of Italy during that time. You would want to find an expert who deals with either Italian Artists or Late Ren/Baroque artists to get further info.

Answer 5

Have a look here..maybe you'll find some luck.

http://images.google.ca/images?hl=en&q=The+Card+Cheat+painting&btnG=Search+Images&gbv=2