Happy Birthday, Caravaggio!
Happy birthday Caravaggio! This year’s collection of images celebrating his birth are some of his self-portraits. The most moving of these, for me, are the ones where he inserts himself into the narrative: as a witness (fleeing) from Matthew’s martyrdom,…
Caravaggio’s Madonna of the Rosary
James from Amor Sciendi and I collaborated on his latest video, “The Madonna of the Rosary and the Counter Reformation.” You can watch the video below and read the article for more information. Please visit the Amor Sciendi YouTube channel…
A Quiet Holiness: Caravaggio’s Madonna di Loreto
Gentle, sensuous, tender, human. These are just a few of the words that describe Caravaggio’s depictions of the Virgin Mary. His Marian works rarely, if ever, reflect the same vibrant optimism seen in his peers’ paintings of the Virgin.1 Rather, glorification of the…
Caravaggio’s Bodies & Shadows at LACMA
LACMA’s recent exhibition Bodies & Shadows: Caravaggio and his Legacy (November 11, 2012 – February 10, 2013) is admittedly not the first U.S. show to bring together works by Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio and artists who emulated his style. 2010…
Happy Birthday, Caravaggio!
It’s that special day again, Caravaggio’s birthday. In last year’s birthday post, I asked my readers to weigh in about Caravaggio’s art, went over a brief biography of his life (and some of the things his biographers and critics said…
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…
Caravaggio the Leader
In her biography of Caravaggio, Helen Langdon refers to Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio’s “evangelical call to young artists,”1 welcoming and encouraging them to pursue his new and modern style. Historical documents paint a different picture, of a Caravaggio who fiercely guarded…
The Nativity
The Nativity of Jesus is drawn from accounts of Christ’s birth in the Gospels of Luke and Matthew. Following the Annunciation, Mary tells Joseph that she is with child and goes to visit her relative, Elizabeth, who is pregnant with John…
Vengeful Seductress: Judith
I’m so excited about this post. Since it obviously can’t be book or even research paper length, I have to warn you that it will not do justice to the topics it addresses (Artemisia Gentileschi, Caravaggio, Caravaggisti, Judith, Judith Slaying…
Happy 440th Birthday, Caravaggio!
Happy Birthday, Caravaggio! You’ve had a great year. People all over the world, especially Italy, celebrated the 400th anniversary of your death on July 18, 1610. Exhibits displaying your masterpieces sprung up internationally, a couple new books about your life…
King David: Symbol of Perfection and Justice
Note: This is part two of my series on Renaissance and Baroque depictions of David. Part One of this series explored the story of King David and, despite his shortcomings, how he came to be a Renaissance hero. Not only…
It’s hard not to love Caravaggio.
What’s not to love about Caravaggio? He was talented, considerably wealthy, popular, and maintained a sultry bad-boy image. He created an in-demand artistic style that attracted the most powerful patrons in Rome and numerous followers. For all his merits, he…
