Valentin de Boulogne (1591-1632),

sometimes referred to as Le Valentin, was a French painter in the tenebrist style. Valentin was born in Coulommiers, France, where he was baptised in the parish of Saint-Denys on 3 January 1591, making 1590 his likely year of birth. The family name, also spelled Boullogne and Boulongne, appears to originate from Boulogne-sur-Mer, a city in northern France in the colony of Pas-de-Calais, though the family had dwelt at Coulommiers since at least 1489. His father, also named Valentin, and his uncle Jean were both painters. Valentin's pupils included Pierre de Francqueville and Nicolas Tournier.