A Homage to Caravaggio
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So there I was: last month, I was in Rome attending a world-famous, probably once in a lifetime exhibit about a giant of painter - - Caravaggio at the Palazzo Barberini. And only 18 months ago, I barely knew about him, although I am a lifelong artist and I've been painting for many years. So let me tell you how this happened, and give you ideas on how you also can do something just as big - - or even bigger!
Stay Curious and Let Inspiration Find You
Although I work steadily in my art studio on most days, I enjoy the diversions of Netflix or something similar. Several months ago, I started watching the Netflix series “Ripley” - - similar to the movie of years ago with Matt Damon. In the Netflix series version, there's a discussion about going to see works of Caravaggio in Naples, Italy. So that piqued my curiosity (murder plus art!), and from that I started to learn a little bit more about him. I started to learn about Caravaggio’s life (1571-1610) story, which read like a combination of inspiration, criminality, insanity, bipolar disorder, and many other dramatic things: I'm thinking of Johnny Depp, Sid Vicious, Michelangelo, Picasso, Van Gogh and others! Caravaggio was really larger than life: he had a short, violent life and he left behind about 100 paintings which are recognized as revolutionary. So that grabbed my attention right there! And the deeper I went – the more fascinated I was about him, including techniques he used like chiaroscuro, which relies on a strategic use of light and dark to define the shape and form of objects and figures. Not only were his paintings outstanding and ground breaking at the time, but his life was quite dramatic and tragic! He was arrested for murder and on the run throughout Italy. During this tumultuous time he continued to paint his dramatically realistic paintings using ordinary people as models depicting violent and dramatic moments mostly of a religious nature.
So I decided to go deeper, to learn more, and I quickly found a podcast, History on Fire, about him, videos, biographies (A Life Sacred and Profane by Andrew Graham-Dixon) , and other things.
Caravaggio was neglected for years, but he's on a hot streak now. So I recommend you take the plunge and go deeper on an artist, a piece of art, a topic, or anything that interests you – follow your bliss! It's also great if you have someone to talk to about your passion, your interests, and what you're finding. I was able to do that with my boyfriend, and we were able to share this Caravaggio hobby together. However, you could share your topic with anyone. Indeed, I recommend you practice teaching the new topic to other people to be able to explain it in your own words, and to help you understand it even more.
So don't be afraid to be an expert. You're smart, you're dedicated, you have time, and you're curious - - so work on something new, go deeper, and you'll find new confidence. If you scour the things on Youtube, on podcasts, books, or other things you can find a ton of material (remember, public libraries have research librarians who might be happy to help!).
And be willing to take the dive and find things in the real world (IRL). I first saw a Caravaggio at the Cleveland Art Museum, and next I viewed one at the Detroit Institute of Art. And then I had the good luck to go to Rome with my boyfriend– on a budget, admittedly, and with a little bit of spontaneity. But we did it!
In our search for Caravaggios in Rome, we learned several things, including the power of just doing it - - find where you need to go, make a plan, and go out. You can do it! We navigated our way all over Rome, with help from many strangers, but we did it. We also found that if you're going to see art in a Catholic church in a foreign country (like Notre Dame in Paris and many places in Rome), you can always get in when you're going to mass. After all, it's a church and it's in business to help people come to services. We also found free walking tours and guides that were instrumental, but mostly we just kept at it.
We started researching to find more Caravaggio paintings in Rome that weren't part of the exhibit to enlarge our viewing experience. We found 3 churches (3 paintings at San Luigi dei Francis, Contarelli Chapel, 2 paintings at Santa Maria del Popolo, Cerasi Chapel, and 1 painting at Basilica of Sant' Agostino, Cavalletti Chapel). At the Borchese Gallery we saw one, Madonna and Child with Saint Anne (that's the one I really wanted to see because it was painted for the Pope but rejected because the Virgin Mary was depicted quite erotically and the model was a well known prostitute in Rome!). There were three at the Galleria Doria Pamphilj as well as the only fresco he ever painted located in the Villa Ludovisi in Rome. I really enjoyed the exhibit but the hunt to find Caravaggio on our own was really special and rewarding. I have to say my favorite was The Madonna of Loreto. It was the first one we saw in Rome at the Cavalletti Chapel. We inserted two euros in the illumination box to light up the painting and my heart just dropped when the painting appeared. It brought me to tears. It's depicting the Virgin with Christ interacting with two pilgrims kneeling with dirty feet and all. The dirty feet is a common theme in his work because he preferred depicting people as they were rather than an idolized version which was in fashion at that time. These are real living breathing people that just jump out at you. His paintings just come to life with emotion and gesture.
And of course, that was part of the joy, and that helped me build my confidence and inspired me to do more.
And so now I've been working on this topic for a while and I consider myself to be very informed. That's a good feeling. You can do it too. Remember – be willing to go deeper (don’t be intimidated!), be willing to do the work, to explain your topic to other people, and keep at it. You won’t be an amateur for long. You're a professional. And follow your bliss!
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The Madonna of Loreto , Basilica of Sant' Agostino, Cavalletti Chapel, Rome
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Madonna and Child with Saint Anne (1605/06), Borchese Gallery, Rome. This was the painting that was rejected by the Pope and the start of Caravaggio's downfall.
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The Calling of St. Matthew (1599-1600), San Luigi dei Francis, Contarelli Chapel, Rome. This is St. Francis' favorite Caravaggio painting.
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Another favorite that just jumped off the canvas, The Conversion of St. Paul (1600), Palazzo Barberini, Rome
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St. Catherine of Alexandria (1597-98) Palazzo Barberini, Rome. This was considered the first Caravaggio painting where he introduced the technique of Chiaroscuro
This has been such a rewarding pilgrimage for me! Find an artist that you love and do a deep dive into their life and work. If you can travel to see the work, that's great, but you can have a wonderful adventure just doing the research at home and travel in your mind. I am thinking my next artist I would like to research is Van Gogh.
references:
History on Fire Podcast
Ripley series on Netflix
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ripley_(TV_series)
Pope Francis' favorite Caravaggio
Caravaggio biography, Sacred and Profane by Andrew Graham-Dixon
https://www.amazon.com/Caravaggio-Sacred-Profane-Andrew-Graham-Dixon/dp/039334343X
