The Last Day of Pompeii
Some brief thoughts on Karl Briullov’s The Last Day of Pompeii (1830 – 1833).
Brief Thoughts on The Passion of Christ through Honthorst’s Eyes
Then Pilate took Jesus and flogged him. And the soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head and arrayed him in a purple robe. They came up to him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!”…
Valentin de Boulogne’s Christ & the Adulteress
One of my favorite accounts of Jesus’ life comes from John 7:53 – 8:11. While at the temple teaching, the Pharisees bring Jesus a woman who was caught in adultery. As they bring charges against the woman before Christ, saying…
Salome, the femme fatale
According to Mark’s Gospel, Salome’s mother Herodias wanted John the Baptist dead because he spoke out against her marriage to her brother-in-law, Herod. Herod would not put John to death, because he “feared John, knowing that he was a righteous and…
The Disruptive Art of Giorgio de Chirico
Giorgio de Chirico (1888 – 1978) was a Greek-born Italian surrealist painter. His father was an Italian nationalist who moved to Greece for his job as a railway engineer. Coupled with the family’s support of a new Italy was a…
Skepticism Surrounding Caravaggio Discovery
Yesterday, the art world exploded with news that 100 new Caravaggio paintings and drawings had been discovered by a team of art historians in Milan at the Sforzesco Castle. The Castle is home to a collection of works from the…
Gustave Caillebotte
Gustave Caillebotte (1848-1894) Gustave Caillebotte was trained by celebrated French painter Leon Bonnat. He was three years out of Bonnat’s studio when he first exhibited with the Impressionists, and over the years his style did not stray much from the teachings of…
Celebrating Romance
Happy Valentine’s Day! Caravaggista.com is celebrating this romantic day by showcasing a few of art history’s most famous faces, couples, and love scenes: Love is in the air! What are your favorite romantic artworks? If you’d like to learn…
Callous Viewers and Heart-Wrenching Art.
We’re not supposed to be callous toward art. And yet, we are, especially with art that is meant to and was created for the purpose of welling up emotion within our spirits. I suppose this has to do with modern…
Museum: A Safe Haven
Getting lost had made me tired. My fingers reached around the door handle and swung the door open, and my feet stepped into hallowed ground.Finally. My eyes adjusted to the warm lighting and my heart skipped a beat, for it…
Baroque Spain: El Greco. A Lonely and Royal Christ.
I want to preface today’s discussion by noting that I’ve included El Greco in this series on Spanish Baroque because, in Spain, he is the link between “mannerism” and the “true Baroque” style. He combined mannerist forms with Baroque drama. …
Baroque Spain: Experience Christ.
Save the art of Baroque Italy, nothing approaches the intense spirituality of Spanish Baroque art. Through a series of short essays over the next few weeks, we’ll explore the art, religious history, and politics of this militant, devoutly Catholic country in…
