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Alma-Tadema

Barber, Charles Burton

Bouguereau

Burne-Jones

Canaletto

Caravaggio

Hals, Frans

Rembrandt

Tuke, Henry

Fine Art Trade Guild Member: 6083

Company Number 5292052

Caravaggio

Born: 1571 - Died: 1610.

Caravaggio was an Italian baroque painter who was the best artist capable of naturalistic painting in the early 17th century. His use of models from the working classes of society in his early secular works and later religious compositions appealed to the Counter Reformation taste for realism, simplicity in art. Equally important is his introduction of dramatic light and dark contrasts, termed chiaroscuro, into his works, which when combined with the foreshortening of his subjects, immediately draws the viewer into his paintings. Caravaggio was a volatile character, and often could not control either his emotions or temper well. He aimed to make paintings that depicted the truth and he was critically condemned for being a naturalist. In spite of adverse reactions, Caravaggio secured a string of prestigious commissions for religious works featuring violent struggles, grotesque decapitations, torture and death. For the most part each new painting increased his fame, but a few were rejected by the various commissioners, at least in their original forms, and had to be reworked, or bought by different clients. The problem was that while Caravaggio’s dramatic intensity was appreciated, his style was seen by some as too vulgar, and too realistic. Caravaggio led a tumultuous life. He was notorious for brawling, even in a time and place when such behaviour was commonplace. In May 1606, he killed, a young man named Ranuccio Tomassoni, in a duel. Previously his high-placed patrons had protected him from the consequences of his escapades, but this time they could do nothing. Caravaggio, outlawed, fled to Naples Despite his success in Naples after only a few months in the city Caravaggio left for presumably hoping that the patronage of Wignacourt, Grand Master of the Knights, could help him secure a pardon for Tomassoni's death. De Wignacourt proved so impressed at having the famous artist as official painter to the Order that he inducted him as a knight.However, by late August of 1608 he was arrested and imprisoned. By December he had been expelled from the Order to quote "as a foul and rotten member." Before the expulsion Caravaggio had moved to Sicily. His style continued to evolve, showing now figures, isolated against vast empty backgrounds. He was commissioned to produce work for the church, which now showed pitifully poor figures in vast areas of darkness; they show the desperate fears and frailty of man. Reports at the time portray a man whose behaviour was becoming increasingly bizarre, sleeping fully armed, and in his clothes, ripping up a painting at a slight word of criticism. Towards the end of his career Caravaggio’s brushwork was much freer and more impressionistic. Maybe if Caravaggio had lived, something new would have come. In Naples an attempt was made on his life, which resulted in his face being seriously disfigured. Caravaggio died on 28 July 1610, of a fever, reportedly on the beach, however no body was found. However a few days earlier he had received a pardon from Romefor the death of Tomassoni.

A Sample of some Caravaggio Paintings

St. John the Baptist III

The Seven Acts of Mercy

The Crowning with Thorns

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