Caravaggio
| Years of life: | 1571 – 1610 |
|---|---|
| Artist's Teachers: | Simone Peterzano |
| Art Movement: | Baroque |
| Genre: | Portrait , Religious , Still-life , Mythology , Genre scenes |
|---|---|
| Country: | Italy |
| Century: | XVI , XVII |
His full name was Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio. The only one among the famous artists with such a criminal past (he was accused of hooliganism and murder). Died of malarial fever at the age of 38. Contemporary of Shakespeare (1564–1616).
Life and Works
He left his hometown of Bologna for Rome in 1592 where two distinct phases in his career occurred: the early period (1592-1599), when he studied the High Renaissance and Antique; and the mature period (1599-1606) where he rejected decorum and turned to an exhilarating realism. He was as well-received in Papal circles and executed many important Church commissions. In 1606, at the height of his success, he was involved in a fatal fight, which occurred because of a wager on a tennis match. He was forced to flee to Malta, after another fight, he moved on to Sicily. In Palermo, he was wounded. He died near Naples, awaiting the Papal pardon, which arrived three days after his death. His influence affected the work of La Tour, Rembrandt, and Velasquez.
Style
He is known for sensational subjects, in which severed heads and martyrdom are shown in gory detail, and young men display charms (his tastes were heterosexual, and his girlfriend a prostitute). The biblical scenes are full of drama. When he portrayed Christ or saints he used peasants or street urchins as models; which caused deep offense to many.
Equally sensational and theatrical was his painting style. His paintings are characterized by tense composition, masterfully foreshortening, dramatic lighting, and vivid contrasts between light and shadow (chiaroscuro). His later works, created after 1606, were created in a hurry, they are less dramatic and lack the former power.
What to Look for
Caravaggio’s early works are small paintings with half-length figures and still-life compositions. Later the figures became three-dimensional and the shadows became deep. Objects depicted in still-lifes can contain symbolic meaning, such as fruit that is full of wormholes.
Caravaggio’s major works are Calling of St. Matthew, 1599–1600 (Rome: S. Luigi dei Francesi); The Conversion of St. Paul, 1601 (Rome: S. Maria del Popolo); The Incredulity of St. Thomas, 1601–02 (Florence: Galleria degli Uffizi).
References:
- Robert Cumming. Art: complete encyclopedia. – 512 p. – Moscow: Astrel, 2005.
Spelling error report
The following text will be sent to our editors: