See ya soon, Cardsharps

Dallas-Fort Worth museum says farewell (for now) to one of its most-loved paintings

One of the Kimbell Art Museum's most famous paintings is about to take a little vacation.

The Cardsharps by Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio, which is thought to have been painted around 1595, is going on loan to the Art Institute of Chicago for its upcoming exhibition "Among Friends and Rivals: Caravaggio in Rome," showing September 8-December 31, 2023.

From there, the masterpiece is headed to the Toledo Museum of Art for "The Brilliance of Caravaggio: Four Paintings in Focus" from January 20-April 14, 2024.

Dallas-Fort Worth patrons only have until August 6 to view the painting, or will have to wait until late spring 2024 to see it again.

"This painting is one of the most beloved works of art in our collection and is one of the most exceptional works in Caravaggio’s oeuvre," writes the Kimbell on its Facebook page. "The attention to detail, dramatic lighting, and theatrical subjects are hallmarks of the renowned artist’s style. While we love to have The Cardsharps on view for our visitors to admire in person, we also find great value in lending art to our fellow cultural institutions. At any given time, the Kimbell has a number of works from our collection on loan to other museums around the world."

The post goes on to explain that special exhibitions allow museum visitors to experience a wide variety of artworks and deepen their understanding of art history, and that, "without friendly loans like this," the Kimbell wouldn’t be able to mount temporary exhibitions throughout the year.

"Reciprocity is certainly one of the factors the Kimbell considers when deciding whether to lend a work to another museum," the Kimbell's director, Eric Lee, tells CultureMap. "We would not able to organize our extraordinary exhibitions — with their many amazing loans from other museums — if the Kimbell did not in turn lend works from its collection to those other museums. But equally important to the deliberations on whether to lend is the seriousness of the exhibition for which a work is requested and the potential to learn from lending a work to a show. As for the Art Institute of Chicago and Toledo, we have a long history of partnerships with both institutions, including most recently 'The Language of Beauty in African Art,' which was organized by the Art Institute of Chicago and traveled only to the Kimbell."

One of Caravaggio's earliest paintings, The Cardsharps snagged the attention of the influential Cardinal Francesco Maria del Monte, who not only purchased it but also offered the artist quarters in his palace. Thus, Caravaggio was introduced to the elite stratum of Roman ecclesiastical society, which gave him his first significant opportunity to work on a large scale and for a public forum.

The Kimbell describes the painting as such:

In The Cardsharps, the players are engaged in a game of primero, a forerunner of poker. Engrossed in his cards at left is the dupe, unaware that the older cardsharp signals his accomplice with a raised, gloved hand (the fingertips exposed, better to feel marked cards). At right, the young cheat looks expectantly toward the boy and reaches behind his back to pull a hidden card from his breeches. Caravaggio has treated this subject not as a caricature of vice but in a novelistic way, in which the interaction of gesture and glance evokes the drama of deception and lost innocence in the most human of terms.

The Cardsharps kicked off a trend for paintings on nefarious card game scenes, including Georges de La Tour’s Cheat with the Ace of Clubs, also found at the Kimbell.

Photo courtesy of Kimbell Art Museum

The Cardsharps by Caravaggio.

The Cardsharps was stamped on the back with the seal of Cardinal del Monte and inventoried among his possessions after his death in 1627. Its location had been unknown for some 90 years when it was rediscovered in 1987 in a European private collection.

The Kimbell acquired the painting that same year.

The popularity of The Cardsharps is evident in the response to the Kimbell's announcement. "Is this how it feels when your kid goes off to college? I'm so sad but so proud," writes one poster on Facebook. "When I go to the Kimbell I can study this painting for hours, the detail, composition, shading and color are beyond compare," writes another.

But it appears DFW art fans are in favor of the loan, with many echoing the sentiment of this poster: "So great that museums do such loans so we can see more original artwork from all over the world."

galleries museums

Drama kings

Dallas theater lures new leaders away from Hollywood and Broadway

Photo courtesy of Lyric Stage

Malcolm Goodwin is an actor, director, and producer familiar for roles in Reacher, iZombie, and The Fall of the House of Usher.

Dallas theater company Lyric Stage has looked to Hollywood and Broadway for new leadership, hiring film and television actor and director Malcolm Goodwin and Broadway veteran Victor Hawks as the theater company's new co-artistic directors.

The appointments mark a new chapter for the company, which was founded in 1993 by Steven Jones, executive director Catherine Carpenter Cox says in a November 2 announcement.

Goodwin and Hawks are the co-founders of Team Vision Entertainment, a production company developing and producing film, television, and theater projects.

Their longstanding creative partnership will now extend to Lyric Stage, where they will work alongside Cox to develop programming, support new works, and strengthen the organization's connections to the broader entertainment industry, a press release says.

Goodwin is an actor, director, and producer best known for roles in Amazon Prime Video's Reacher and The CW's iZombie. Other credits include The Fall of the House of Usher, American Gangster, and Spike Lee's Miracle at St. Anna.

His new role at Lyric Stage brings him back to the art form that first inspired his career.

"Theater is where I first learned how to tell stories and where I discovered that I loved every part of the creative process, not just performing," Goodwin says in the release. "I was building theaters, working with lighting and sound, and learning how everything comes together to create something special for an audience. Being able to return to that world and help create opportunities for other artists is incredibly meaningful to me."

Hawks brings an extensive Broadway background to his new position, having appeared in the original Broadway company of Urinetown the Musical, the 2006 Broadway revival of Les Misérables, South Pacific at Lincoln Center, and The Producers national tour.

Victor Hawks, Lyric Stage Victor Hawks.Photo courtesy of Lyric Stage

"Musical theater changed the direction of my life," Hawks says in a statement. "I know firsthand what happens when someone gives a young performer an opportunity to learn, grow and be part of something bigger than themselves. That's what makes this next chapter so exciting. Lyric Stage already has an incredible history, and we want to build on that by creating great theater and opening doors for artists who are just beginning their journeys."

Over the past three decades, Lyric Stage has earned a reputation for its professional productions, world premieres, and restoration of classic Broadway works, with a big focus on musicals.

For Cox, the appointments are about bringing together artists who understand the importance of theater while offering the experience and relationships to help the organization grow.

"Steven Jones built something truly special with Lyric Stage, and we have a responsibility to honor what he created while continuing to move the organization forward," Cox says. "Malcolm and Victor have built remarkable careers in entertainment, but what I love most is that theatre is where both of their journeys began. They understand what the stage can mean to an artist, and they share my passion for creating opportunities for the next generation."

Cox also recently moved into a new role as director, making her directorial debut with Lyric Stage's production of the musical Godspell, which finished its run on October 25.

Upcoming Lyric Stage productions include A Very Lyric Christmas, A Chorus Line, Newsies, and Once.

Future planned endeavors for the company include Lyric Stage Academy, an educational program designed to introduce young people to the performing arts, as well as Children's Theatre, Summer Stock, professional training opportunities, a New Works Lab, and master classes.

lyric stage performing-arts theater

See ya soon, Cardsharps

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Drama kings

Dallas theater lures new leaders away from Hollywood and Broadway