An Old Woman Holding a Purse by Candlelight

An old woman guarding a purse by candlelight combined genre painting with moral allegory in a format that Caravaggist painters found endlessly productive. Stom’s version from around 1628 is an early work, painted shortly after his arrival in Rome where such candlelit character studies were in high demand among collectors. The single-figure nocturnal composition owes a clear debt to Gerrit van Honthorst’s similar subjects. Stom's mastery of candlelight effects was among the most technically accomplished of all Caravaggist painters, surpassing many of his contemporaries in the subtlety of his graduated shadows and the warmth of his artificial illumination.

The candle flame, partially shielded by the woman’s hand, creates dramatic light and shadow across her weathered features. Stom paints the purse and coins with careful attention to reflective surfaces.