In what other city can you
casually walk down the steets,
stop in to a local church
and see the best artwork ever created - for FREE?
Welcome to Rome!
Caravaggio
was born Michelangelo Merisi on Sept. 29, 1571, and he died July 18,
1610.
Caravaggio studied painting
under Simone Peterzano, a pupil of Titian. Titian was the
mover and shaker of the Venice scene, where they developed the
technique of painting on canvas.
Caravaggio came to Rome in
1593, and for a while was the typical starving artist. He became a
factory-like painter for the shop of Giuseppe
Cesari (1597),
a favorite of Pope Clement VIII.
In 1599, Cardinal Francesco del Monte offered
Caravaggio the Contarelli chapel in
the Roman church of St. Louis of France - this is where Caravaggio's
career will take off.
Church
of St. Louis of France -
Begun
in 1518 by Giulio
de’Medici, who will later become Pope Clement VII (1523-1534). His
niece is Catherine, who will become Regent of France.
Christ
points with the
same gesture as God in the Sistine Chapel, showing
us that Matthew will
be a new creation.
St.
Matthew's Vocation (left panel), shows Matthew in the custom's office.
On the left (in the painting), they are dressed in contemporary clothes
- but Jesus and St. Peter are in the clothes of their time.
The point is - grace didn't
just happen back then - grace comes to us every day, in every century.
Note how the light
is coming
from behind Jesus - Caravaggio is taking the natural light that comes
into this chapel from the real window to the right of the painting, and
he extends, exaggerates that light in his painting.
The last painting in the St. Matthew series, the martyrdom (not
pictured), has a choir boy screaming and running away, other people
shocked and realing back, and a little image of Caravaggio on the left
back of the painting.
The first St.
Matthew painting (on the
left) was rejected.
In the new
version (right side), the angel is limited to only suggest what Matthew
should write - making Matthew more the writer, and the angel, more
'inspiration'.
Church
of St. Agostino -
This
church was originally built in 1480, and is the Augustinian mother
church.
Caravaggio's
painting is in the Cavalletti Chapel: Madonna
dei Pellegrini (1603-04).
The model for the Blessed Virgin was a prostitute named Lena,
"Caravaggio's girl".
All the figures in Caravaggio’s
paintings will be in contemporary dress, using common people in this
city as his models.
Use of light: Represents grace, coming from the church. Her long neck
may be from the Mannerist influence.
Everyday common man comes in contact with the
Divine.
Chiesa
Nuova
-
Erected
in
1575 (consecrated in 1599) by Gregory XIII for St. Philip Neri.
Rubens did the altar paintings
(1606-08). Probably the best for color (and pudgy women!).
Federico Barocci painted here as well -
he led
counter-reformation painting. Caravaggio liked him.
Chiesa Nuova
is the 2nd Counter-Reformation church built in Rome (1st is the Gesu),
with side chapels' devotions already thought out, coordinated and
chosen by the religious order - usually with a common theme. Families
who are buried or remembered in that chapel have to keep that
dedication, and have to make sure a Mass is said in that chapel at
least 3 times a week - or they lose the chapel!
Many of these paintings will also have some illusion to the Mass taking
place on the altar, so it is important to see how Caravaggio's painting
fits into the overall picture.
The Deposition
There are many
things to
be said about The
Deposition, which I will cover during the tour, but for
now, take a
look at the arm of Jesus hanging off to the side . . .
Caravaggio
copied this
arm from Michelangelo's Pietà!
During the
tour we also
visit the church of Santa Maria del Popolo with 2 more paintings by
Caravaggio, Campo dei Fiori where Caravaggio watched Giordano Bruno
burn at the stake, see where Caravaggio got into a sword fight that
ended in a
murder, and where he actually lived (2 locations). We will also see
works by Raphael
and Gian Lorenzo Bernini,
AND - the most dynamic
ceiling painting in Rome!
To reserve
this tour on a
private tour basis, please use the "back" button on your
browser to the page that referred you here.
You might also find the link below helpful.
