Adam de Coster was a Flemish Baroque painter working under the influence of Caravaggism.

Biography

Originally from Mechelen

Mechelen

Mechelen Footnote: Mechelen became known in English as 'Mechlin' from which the adjective 'Mechlinian' is derived...

, he is listed in Antwerp's guild of St. Luke as a master in 1607–1608. Although there is no information regarding a trip to Italy

Italy

Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...

, his early adoption of the strong chiaroscuro

Chiaroscuro

Chiaroscuro in art is "an Italian term which literally means 'light-dark'. In paintings the description refers to clear tonal contrasts which are often used to suggest the volume and modelling of the subjects depicted"....

 and use of half-length figures illuminated by "candlelight" suggests that he might have made this journey. De Coster's paintings show a certain affinity with those of Georges de la Tour

Georges de La Tour

Georges de La Tour was a French Baroque painter, who spent most of his working life in the Duchy of Lorraine, which was temporarily absorbed into France between 1641 and 1648...

 and other French variations of the style. More direct influences, however, are Gerard Honthorst and Antonio Campi

Antonio Campi

Antonio Campi was an Italian painter of the Renaissance.He was born in Cremona. His style merges Lombard with Mannerist styles. In Cremona, his extended family were the main artistic produce. Giulio Campi and Antonio were reportedly half-brothers, while Vincenzo Campi was a full brother....

. In Anthony van Dyck

Anthony van Dyck

Sir Anthony van Dyck was a Flemish Baroque artist who became the leading court painter in England. He is most famous for his portraits of Charles I of England and his family and court, painted with a relaxed elegance that was to be the dominant influence on English portrait-painting for the next...

's Iconography (1626), he is identified as Pictor Noctium (Painter of Nights).