CARAVAGGIO 15721610

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CARAVAGGIO (1572-1610)
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David with the Head of Goliath

• His full name was Michelangelo Merisi, but he
  was called Caravaggio after the region in Italy
  where he grew up.
• The head of Goliath here is the only known
  self-portrait of him. Remember that Goliath was a
  giant who was defeated by Davids slingshot.
• He is considered the best example of the Italian
  Baroque and was a strong influence on later
  artists like Rembrandt and Valazquez.

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Boy Bitten by Lizard

• Born to a well-off family, he studied art styles
  in Venice and was quickly a standout.
• His early works show the emphasis on realistic
  paintings of plants and insects.
• He moved to Rome to follow influential patrons.
• After an initial struggle, he got good
  commissions.
• Where is the lizard? Does the boys body look
  real? What is the source of light?

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The Card Sharps

• Unlike other artists of his day, he worked from
  live models, using family, servants and friends.
• He painted directly onto the canvas, refusing to
  do the preparatory drawings other artists used.
• He wanted to show realism, rejecting the habit of
  idealizing figures used in his time.
• Who is being cheated? Who is signaling the card
  holding? How can you tell?

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The Card Sharps

• This picture shows two men cheating a third in a
  game of cards. Note the cards that one man is
  pulling out of his waist while the other man
  signals to him.
• The beautiful color is typical of the Venetian
  style. The light, however, is uniquely
  Caravaggio. Note the contrast between the shadow
  and the light.
• What is the source of light? Do young men still
  dress like this?

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The Calling of St. Matthew (1599-1602)

• Matthew, an illiterate tax collector, sits as
  Christ motions him to follow .
• His use of chiaroscuro, a term for the use of
  light and shadow in art, is unmatched. Note how
  the light draws your eye from Christs hand to
  Matthews face.
• The scene is in a tavern, which offended some
  viewers.
• What is the source of light? What do you first
  notice?

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The Calling of St. Matthew

• The window is made of oiled paper, as glass
  windows were rare at that time.
• The rich colors show that the men at the table
  are wealthy, while Christ and the angel are in
  dull colors. The halo around is the only sign of
  Christs status.
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• Do you make decisions about people based on their
  clothes?
• Do you think interiors actually were this dark
  before electricity?

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Conversion of St. Paul (1601)

• In the biblical story, Paul is riding a horse on
  the road to Damascus with his servant. He
  suddenly sees a brilliant flash of light, and
  hears the voice of God. He falls off his horse,
  having been blinded by the light. Paul remains
  blind until he is baptized as a follower of
  Christ.
• In the painting, the light is part of the miracle
  and thus unseen by the servant. The servant is
  also not bathed in the light, since the light is
  seen only by Paul.
• Do you feel the tension in Pauls body? Can you
  tell if he is blinded? Does the horses hoof
  seem dangerous to you?

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Conversion of St. Paul

• The hard surfaces are beautifully rendered. The
  horseshoe, the rivets in the armor, even the
  veins on the servants leg all appear solid and
  real.
• The foreshortening of St. Paul pulls the eye into
  the center of the picture.
• The beautiful color--reds, beiges and
  oranges--show a quieter range than his early
  works.
• Where is the horses head?

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Portrait of a Knight of Malta

• Caravaggio eliminates color from this portrait,
  relying solely on the beautiful light which
  highlights his uniform.
• Caravaggio was in Malta because he had to leave
  Rome after murdering a man following a fight on
  the tennis court.
• Do the dark tones make the picture more serious?
  Why or why not?
• Is emphasis on the Maltese cross or on the man?

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Portrait of a Knight of Malta

• Caravaggio had a flamboyant personal life,
  littered with brawls and disputes.
• He died at 37 on his way back from Rome to be
  pardoned for the murder.
• His work was not always liked in his time--the
  realism and the lower class models offended some
  sensibilities.
• How does this picture make you feel? Happy?
  Sad?

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• His work combined delicate light with gritty
  realism in a way that had never been done
  before. The twisting forms, strong light
  sources, and interaction with the viewer all help
  to make his work dynamic in a way that was new in
  Western art.
• His times influenced his work. He lived at a
  time when the Catholic church was reacting to the
  Protestant uprisings occurring throughout Europe.
  Interest in science had exploded, as had
  interest in self determination in religious and
  political thought.
• The Baroque reflect the turmoil occurring in
  society. The stability of the Renaissance had
  given way to a more personal questioning of
  lifes duty and responsibilities.

The Supper at Emmeus
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The Supper at Emmeus

• Caravaggio is considered the greatest Baroque
  artist to ever live. Legions of later artists
  were influenced by his handling of subjects,
  paint and light. The Baroque movement emphasized
  movement, gestures, and drama in their work. The
  works tend to draw the viewer into the plane of
  the picture. Here, notice how the hand gestures
  point into the space of the viewer. The
  interplay of shadow and light, stillness and
  movement, and the secular setting for a religious
  topics are typical of the Baroque.
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• Do you think the people here are arguing?
  Telling a story? Can you tell what they are
  eating? Who is the standing man? A servant?