Michelangelo Caravaggio (1571-1610) — Italian artist, who abandoned the painting style characteristic of his era and laid the foundation for realism. His works reflect the author's worldview and his irrepressible character. Michelangelo Caravaggio, whose biography is full of difficult moments, left an impressive legacy that still inspires artists around the world.
Signs of the era
The artist was born in 1571 in Lombardy. The name of the village (Caravaggio) in which Michelangelo was born became his nickname. Historians note that Italy faced many trials during the time when Caravaggio lived and worked. The country was ravaged by wars and internal contradictions, complicated by the economic crisis. Some of the freedom of the Renaissance was replaced by a church reaction. All this could not but influence art.
Mannerism and academicism
In the years when the Italian artist Michelangelo Caravaggio began to move along his creative path, painting began to be filled with mystical subjects far from reality. Church-supported mannerism, which originated in mid-16th century century, was a subjective direction, not striving for harmony of the spiritual and physical components.
A little later, almost at the end of the century, academic painting appeared. It is characterized by simplicity of composition and monumental forms, contrasted with mannerism. Artists who preferred academicism turned to Antiquity with its idealized heroes and images, dismissing reality as not worthy of attention.
Michelangelo Caravaggio - innovative artist
The direction created by Caravaggio, called “Caravaggism” after his death, originates in the pictorial traditions of Northern Italy. One of Michelangelo Merisi's teachers in Milan was Simone Peterzano. It was probably from him that the artist learned to use the contrast of light and shadow, which later became one of the main distinctive features many of his paintings.
Michelangelo Caravaggio in his work continued the traditions of the realistic approach of the masters of Northern Italy. He did not become a follower of mannerism or academicism, but laid the foundation for a new movement, which often drew criticism from both other painters and the church. However, some religious figures patronized Caravaggio. Among them, it is worth noting Cardinal del Monte, who favored the artist in the period from 1592 to 1594, when Michelagelo lived and worked in Rome.
Provincial resident
Michelangelo Caravaggio, whose biography, creativity and whole life are inextricably linked with provincial cities, even depicted ordinary people. The heroes of his paintings are far from ancient ideals; they could be found on the streets of Italian villages. The artist created a variety of genre paintings (for example, “Fortune Teller”, “Young Man with a Lute”), conveying life in a realistic manner common people. In his paintings, which depicted various scenes from the Holy Scriptures, far from canonical details appeared, making church servants and martyrs not idols, but simple and understandable people. Among such paintings are “Magdalene” and “Apostle Matthew”.
The characteristic features of Michelagelo Caravaggio's works are realism, sometimes reaching extreme naturalism, laconic composition, play of light and shadow, and the use of restrained colors.
"The Calling of the Apostle Matthew"
The artist created the famous cycle of works for the church of San Luigi dei Francesi, depicting episodes from the life of St. Matthew last decade XVI century. The best among them is often called “The Calling of the Apostle Matthew.” The composition gains particular expressiveness due to the contrast of light and shadow. All the main details: - the finger of Christ, the face of the apostle - are brightly illuminated. The shadow covers minor elements of the canvas. Light creates a special movement in the painting and directs the viewer's gaze. In this painting, the artist also found a place for realism and details characteristic of everyday situations. He depicted St. Matthew, the tax collector, counting money with his assistants. All the characters in the picture, except Christ and the Apostle Peter, are dressed in costumes that were modern for Caravaggio. The artist’s skill is also expressed in the depiction of the characters’ faces.
Moving towards the goal no matter what
Stubborn, irrepressible and full of seething energy - this is how art historians describe Michelangelo Merisi. He persistently developed realism, despite criticism and opposition from the church. The artist created his most significant works in the years 1600-1606. These include the paintings “The Vision of Saul”, “The Martyrdom of the Apostle Peter”, “The Assumption” and others. These paintings aroused disapproval from the church due to their deviation from the accepted manner of depiction, unnecessary, according to Catholic dignitaries, realism and materialism.
Fame and escape from Rome
“Entombment” is one of the paintings by Michelangelo Caravaggio, a photo of which invariably accompanies the description of the artist’s biography. The master achieved the unusually strong emotional effect produced by the canvas using light and shadow contrast. The work was created for the church of Santa Maria in Vallicella in the Eternal City. The dramatic plot of the burial of the Savior's body was painted by the artist in white, red and blue colors, the tense confrontation of which multiplies the effect of the play of light and shadow. This painting was recognized as a masterpiece not only among the master’s fans and followers, but also by his enemies.
And it was precisely at the moment when Michelangelo Caravaggio achieved fame that fate prepared another test for the artist. In 1606 he had to flee Rome after a duel. A quarrel during a ball game had fatal consequences: Caravaggio killed his opponent and was forced to leave the city.
Last years
While hiding from justice, the artist continued to work, although his living conditions sometimes became unbearably difficult. In Naples he wrote “Madonna of the Rosary” and “Seven Works of Mercy”. Last picture of those mentioned is a combination of several different plots. Despite the complex composition, the canvas does not fall apart into separate parts. The artist managed to combine the subjects into a single whole.
In Malta, having quarreled with a nobleman, Caravaggio went to prison and then fled to Sicily. Works last period The master's life is poorly preserved. Paintings from this time are full of drama. These include “The Burial of St. Lucia", "Beheading of John the Baptist", "Adoration of the Shepherds". These paintings are united by the night space, which acts as a backdrop for the main action and reluctantly parted to reveal the heroes of the canvas.
Caravaggio spent his last years wandering around Sicily. Shortly before his death, he went to Rome, where he was promised help in obtaining forgiveness from the Pope. However, even here fate was not inclined to meet him halfway. On the way to the Eternal City, the artist fell ill. He died in Porto d'Ercole in 1610 of fever.
The Italian artist Michelangelo Caravaggio, whose photographs adorn all works on the history of art of the 17th century, had a huge influence on the development of painting. It is difficult to imagine how many more masterpieces the master could have created if his life had not been cut short at the age of 38. However, what the artist managed to create made him one of the most revered masters of the past. Having become the founder of realism, he inspired the creation of masterpieces by many famous painters Western Europe. These include Rubens, Rembrandt, Velazquez and many others. The followers of Michelangelo Merisi in Italy began to call themselves Caravaggists, paying tribute to the pioneer of the genre.
The phenomenal creativity of a genius, which upended generally accepted ideas about painting, radically influenced the entire course of development visual arts not only in Italy, but throughout Europe. An outspoken rebel and tireless rebel, exceptional talent and a real genius - all this is about Caravaggio, a great artist and experimenter who became a reformer of European painting and, overnight, one of the most scandalous artists of all time.
Caravaggio. Self-portrait
Biography of Caravaggio
Michelangelo Merisi, as the artist's real name sounds, was born on September 29, 1571 in the family of a wealthy and quite famous in his time architect Fermo Merisi in Milan. The date of birth is inaccurate as no documents have been found to that effect. Only the baptismal record, dated September 30, has survived, which says: “On the 30th, Michelangelo, son of Fermo Merisi and Lucia de Oratoribus, was baptized.” On September 29, the Catholic Church celebrates the feast of the Archangel Michael and, apparently, that is why this day is considered the artist’s birthday. Michelangelo had a younger sister named Caterina and two brothers, one of whom later became a clergyman.
In 1577, during another outbreak of plague, the family, fleeing, was forced to leave for the hometown of Fermo and Lucia, in Caravaggio, located near Milan. However, this monstrous disease still managed to overtake the Merisi family, claiming the lives of Michelangelo’s father, grandfather and grandmother.
After the end of the epidemic, in 1584 Caravaggio returned to Milan and began learning the basics of painting in the workshop of Simone Peterzano, a student of the famous Titian. Here he not only learned the intricacies of the Lombard school, but also gained his first experience. Unfortunately, Merisi's early works, written in Milan, have not survived to this day.
Paintings by Caravaggio in Palazzo Barberini
In 1592, shortly after the death of his mother, Michelangelo, having sold the property of his parents and dividing the proceeds with his brothers, went to Rome. Although the first documentary evidence of Merisi’s presence in Rome dates back to 1596, this does not exclude the possibility that the artist arrived in the Eternal City much earlier. Perhaps the young man, prone to riotous living, was simply enjoying comfortable existence with money received after the sale of the inheritance. And when the latter ran out, he had to look for work. So, in 1996 he ended up in the workshop of a Sicilian artist Lorenzo Carly.
A young man with a basket of fruit. Caravaggio. 1593-1594
However, one of the biographers, Giovanni Pietro Bellori, states in his notes that Michelangelo Merisi, before arriving in Rome, traveled with Peterzano to Venice, where he gained the experience of the famous Venetian school. To date, no documentary evidence of Caravaggio’s stay in Venice during this period has been found, as well as references in the works of other biographers. And the influence of the Venetian school of painting on the formation of Caravaggio’s style could have occurred without his trip to the Most Serene Republic.
Caravaggio in Rome
In one of the artist’s biographies it is mentioned that since 1594 Merisi lived with his friend Pandolfo Pucci, thanks to whom he received his nickname - Monsignor Insalata, in honor of the salad (in Italian). insalata), which was the only food item in Michelangelo's diet. This is confirmed by the fact that already in 1994 Merisi was left completely without money and without a roof over his head.
In Rome, Caravaggio worked with such artists as Lorenzo Carli, mentioned above, Antiveduto Gramatica, with whom the creative relationship was very fleeting, and, ultimately, with Giuseppe Cesari, in whose workshop Merisi spent several months. During this period, Caravaggio helped paint one of the chapels in the Basilica of San Prassede. The relationship with Cesari was interrupted after Caravaggio's sudden illness and hospitalization.
In 1597, thanks to Prospero Orsi, a close friend of the artist, Michelangelo Merisi was noticed by Cardinal Francesco Maria del Monti, a famous cultural figure and passionate admirer of the arts. He not only appreciated the talent of the young master and purchased some of his works for his collection, but also took Caravaggio into his service. From that moment on, the fame of the Lombard artist began to grow inexorably in the circles of the Roman nobility. His works, executed in a completely new, unprecedented style, became the subject of lively discussions. This period is also a turning point in Caravaggio’s work: multi-figure compositions began to appear on his canvases. One of the first works of this period was the painting “Rest on the Flight to Egypt.”
Rest on the way to Egypt. Caravaggio. 1596-1597
In just a few years, the fame of Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio reached incredible heights, turning the artist into living legend. Thanks to Cardinal del Monti, Caravaggio received a large public commission to paint canvases dedicated to the life of St. Matthew for the Contarelli Chapel in the Church of San Luigi dei Francesi. The artist completed these works in less than a year.
Paintings by Caravaggio in the Church of San Luigi dei Francesi
After this, the master began painting paintings for: “The Crucifixion of St. Peter” and “The Conversion of the Apostle Paul” commissioned by Monsignor Tiberio Cerasi for his own family chapel.
Crucifixion of St. Petra. Caravaggio. 1601
Conversion of Saul. Caravaggio. 1601
Provocateur and genius Caravaggio
Caravaggio's popularity did not stop growing, just as conversations about him did not stop. His work was admired just as much as it was condemned, and Merisi continued to create his scandalous works and provoke society.
Salome with the head of John the Baptist. Caravaggio. 1607
The artist's hot temper, passion for gambling and noisy parties continued to ruin his life, and even multiple arrests could not tame the rebellious nature of the genius.
Giovanni Pietro Bellori, one of the artist’s first biographers, more than once describes cases of Caravaggio’s participation in mass brawls. During one of these clashes, which occurred back in Milan, a young man died. All suspicions fell on the inveterate rebel Merisi, who had to urgently flee the city in order to avoid arrest. So the genius ended up in Rome, but this incident did not become a lesson for him.
The complex character of the artist has more than once led to sad consequences. Caravaggio was arrested many times due to his outrageous behavior, participation in fights and destruction, illegal carrying of weapons, etc. And one day Michelangelo was brought to trial because, together with his friends, he wrote and distributed offensive poems around the city addressed to another artist Giovanni Baglione. In 1605, Merisi was forced to flee Rome to Genoa for several weeks because he stabbed a famous notary with whom he had quarreled over his beloved. Caravaggio was often saved from arrest and imprisonment by famous statesmen and influential friends. They say that the French ambassador came to his aid more than once. But this did not always continue.
Holy Family with John the Baptist. Caravaggio. Around 1603
On May 28, 1606, during a ball game on the Champs de Mars, Caravaggio clashed with Mariano Pasculone. No one ever found out the exact cause of the fight. Some said that a woman came between them, others said that the cause was political differences. But be that as it may, as a result, Merisi was seriously wounded and his opponent was killed. Despite the fact that Michelangelo managed to escape from the crime scene, the trial in this case still took place, even without the participation of the accused.
Filippo I Colonna. Engraving.
This time the court verdict was very cruel: Caravaggio was sentenced to beheading. Now it was not safe for Merisi to go out into the street - the sentence could be carried out by anyone who identified the culprit. Perhaps Caravaggio was just lucky, because this time they came to his aid. Filippo I Colonna. A representative of a noble Roman family not only helped the artist escape from Rome, but also provided the prosecution with a series of evidence of Michelangelo’s innocence, persuading his numerous relatives to become witnesses. A few months later, Colonna sent Caravaggio to Naples to stay with his relatives, where he stayed for almost a whole year. During this time, the master managed to create many works, including:
- “The Holy Family with Saint John the Baptist” (1607), currently kept in a private collection;
- “Salome with the Head of John the Baptist” (1607), located in the collections of the National Gallery in London;
- "Madonna of the Rosary", commissioned by the Carafa-Colonna family, is one of the most significant works of this period.
Madonna of the Rosary. Caravaggio. 1607
After Naples, Caravaggio, remaining under the protection of Colonna, went to Malta. Here Merisi met the great teacher of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem (Order of Malta) and a year later, in July 1608, after undergoing special training, he was ordained a knight. Life seemed to be getting better, however bad character The artist makes himself felt here too. After a serious quarrel with a cavalier of the order, who was of a higher rank, it became clear that Merisi was involved in a murder in Rome. As a result, he was arrested. But even here Caravaggio was lucky. He managed to escape from prison and without problems get to Sicily, where for some time he stayed with his old friend.
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The last years of Caravaggio's life
Soon after this, Caravaggio returned to Naples, where in the summer of 1609 unknown assailants attacked him, trying to kill him. The attempt, fortunately, was unsuccessful, but rumors of his death had already spread throughout the city. Here in Naples, Merisi lived with the Marchioness Constance Colonna for almost a year, until news came from Rome that Pope Paul V was preparing a document for his pardon.
Pope Paul V. Caravaggio. Date unknown
In July 1610, Caravaggio traveled to Rome on a small ship that made periodic trips between Naples and Porto Ercole (Tuscany). This flight did not include a call at the port of Ladispoli, where Caravaggio was supposed to disembark, however, according to certain agreements, the artist’s trip was supposed to take place this way. Unforeseen circumstances prevented the ship from mooring at this destination, and Merisi had to leave the ship without luggage. Everything would not be so sad if the maestro’s chests did not contain a rather valuable cargo - written agreements with Cardinal Scipione Borghese to pardon Caravaggio in exchange for some of his paintings. And the ship, meanwhile, continued on its way. Here they again came to the aid of the famous artist and helped him arrive in Porto Ercole as quickly as possible in order to pick up what he needed. But no matter how hard he tried, the ship had already set off in the opposite direction and now it would be possible to pick up the treasured document only by returning to Naples.
Exhausted by a sudden illness, Caravaggio remained in Porto Ercole, where they tried in vain to get him back on his feet. Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio died on July 18, 1610, presumably from an intestinal infection.
The death of Caravaggio is, in fact, shrouded in mystery and there is still no consensus on the real reason death of a great artist. One of the modern researchers of the life and work of Michelangelo Merisi, citing archival documents Vatican, stated that the last refuge of the great artist was Ladispoli, and he died not from some kind of infection, but at the hands of the Knights of the Order of Malta.
Caravaggio had a lot of followers. And enemies. It's difficult to estimate who has more. Some copied and used his innovative methods.
Others sought to destroy him. And do everything so that his work is forever forgotten. They partially succeeded. Caravaggio was forgotten for three whole centuries.
But historical justice has triumphed. In the 20th century, the world realized his genius. As art critic Roberto Longhi said, “without Caravaggio there would have been no Ribera, or . And Delacroix would have written differently.”
His life is like an adventure novel. With a sad ending. In 1610, at the age of 39, Caravaggio disappeared without a trace. Did he die of malaria, as his contemporaries claimed? Or was he killed?
Now let's try to figure out how Caravaggio was able to attract so many followers. Make so many enemies. And what led to his death.
1. The famous tenebroso Caravaggio.
Caravaggio is very recognizable by his tenebroso style. This is when there is complete darkness in the background. And figures and objects are illuminated by a single dim light source. This light seems to fashion a very three-dimensional image out of the darkness. Effective. Emotionally. Dramatically.
. 1602 National Gallery of Ireland, Dublin. Wga.hu Some artists criticized Tenebroso. Calling Caravaggio’s painting “basement”. Others, on the contrary, borrowed it. Moreover, they literally made it a basement. And they opened their workshops in real basements with one light source.
Murillo. Little beggar. 1650 Artchive.ru 2. Caravaggio's extraordinary realism
From the very beginning, Caravaggio gravitated toward realism. He did not even want to idealize the gods. His famous “Bacchus” is depicted with dirt under his nails. And the fruits are spoiled by caterpillars. No idealization. And special divinity. More like a model pretending to be God.
Caravaggio. Bacchus. 1598 Uffizi Gallery, Florence. wga.hu
Caravaggio depicts as believably as possible and bible stories. Look at his painting “The Unbelief of St. Thomas.” The master shows this plot very realistically. Without avoiding even the most unpleasant details. Saint Thomas penetrates Christ's wound with his finger. Not believing in his resurrection.
No symbolism. Everything is very literal.
Caravaggio. Unbelief of the Apostle Thomas. 1601-1602 Sanssouci Palace, Potsdam, Germany. Wikimedia.commons.com 3. Caravaggio's paintings were often rejected by customers
Caravaggio found models for his paintings among street beggars and prostitutes. And he transferred many of their features onto canvas. Dirty heels, receding hairlines, deep décolletés. It turned out that Caravaggio was going against the Edict of Pictures. This law prohibited giving the faces of saints the features of ordinary people.
Therefore, it is not surprising that church ministers often did not like his work. After all, the faces on the canvases could be recognized by parishioners. And there it’s not far from the exclamations of “Whore in the temple!”
Thus, his painting “Madonna with the Snake” hung in St. Peter’s Basilica for only two days. Exactly because of this reason. His beloved Lena posed for Caravaggio. She lived in the Poor Court in Rome. It was a quarter of prostitutes and bandits. Perhaps she was an ordinary woman. But because of her place of residence, she was a priori classified as a lady of easy virtue.
Caravaggio. Madonna with a snake. 1605-1606 Galleria Borghese, Rome They also abandoned the “Assumption of St. Mary.” This painting was commissioned for the church of Santa Maria della Scala. However, the customers were extremely outraged by the resulting work.
Other artists depicted Saint Mary as more likely to be asleep at the moment of her death. Or joyfully ascending to heaven with her son. As, for example, in the painting by Caracci, a contemporary of Caravaggio.
Annibale Caracci. Assumption of Saint Mary. 1600-1601 Church of Santa Maria del Popolo, Rome At Caravaggio they saw the dead Mary. For real. Her body was swollen. The skin is extremely pale. Barefoot, she lies surrounded by the apostles. They are grieving their loss. No glorious ascension. Only grief and sadness.
Caravaggio. Assumption of Mary. 1602-1606 Louvre, Paris. Wga.hu 4. Caravaggio was an aggressive and hot-tempered man
Caravaggio was very hot-tempered and cocky. With a sword at his advantage, he could wander around the taverns for weeks. It was easy to hurt his ego. In this case, a plate of food was thrown at the innkeeper. Or the sword was drawn. So Caravaggio’s contemporaries understood that this genius had very little chance of living a long life.
His patrons and friends were also surprised how such an aggressive person managed to write true love and tenderness. As, for example, in the painting “Rest on the Flight to Egypt.”
Caravaggio. Rest on the way to Egypt. Fragment. 1598 Gallery of Doria Pamphili, Rome. Wga.hu
Although, of course, dark, tragic subjects predominate in his works. His masterpiece “The Beheading of John the Baptist” is considered especially sinister and bloodthirsty. Those who are particularly sensitive should not watch it (or read the description).
Caravaggio. The beheading of John the Baptist. 1608 St. John's Cathedral, Malta. Wikipedia.ru Most of the picture is in darkness. And the central figure of the composition is the executioner. He just cut the saint's throat. And he had already prepared a dagger to cut off his head. Only Salome is scarier than him. She so calmly places a copper dish for the head of the executed man! That the blood just runs cold.
The very moment of the murder is depicted. This could only be written by someone who himself looked into the eyes of the murdered man.
Yes, Caravaggio was a murderer. But not calculating. In the heat of another fight after a verbal altercation, he killed a man. Ranuccio Tomassoni. Which I later regretted very much. This is obvious from one of his latest works. Based on the painting “David with the Head of Goliath.”
Caravaggio. David with the head of Goliath. 1609-1610 Galleria Borghese, Rome. Artchive.ru No one has ever portrayed David like this before. The young man looks contritely and with sadness in his eyes at the head of the defeated enemy. No triumph. No pride in yourself.
There is a version that this is a double self-portrait of Caravaggio. In the image of David - his bright side souls. In the image of Goliath - dark. This picture is a judgment on oneself. For murder. For taking the life of another person.
5. The mystery of Caravaggio’s death is still not solved
For the murder, Caravaggio was sentenced to death. He fled from Rome. But this was already the beginning of the end. His life inevitably went downhill.
True, for some time there was a glimmer of hope for salvation. When Caravaggio came to Malta to join the crusading knights. He wrote several masterpieces here. Including for the Maltese Cathedral. He was knighted. Now there was a much greater chance of obtaining a pardon from the Pope.
But again something went wrong. Another fight. Jail. Flight to Sicily.
Here is the official version of the artist’s death. While still in Malta, Caravaggio received a written pardon from Rome. In Sicily he boards a ship. To return to the Eternal City. But the ship's captain dropped him off halfway in one of the ports. Allegedly suspecting him of being a criminal. After which the artist was forced to walk to another city, Porto Ercole.
The path ran through marshy areas. There he contracted malaria. He was found unconscious by the landowner. He picked the artist. But he soon died. His body was thrown into the sea so as not to spread the infection.
Caravaggio. Ecstasy of Saint Magdalene. 1610. Private collection. One of latest works masters Perhaps it was painted in parallel with the painting “David with the Head of Goliath.” This version is set out in a letter from this landowner to one of the Roman cardinals. Almost everything in this story seems far-fetched. No one, except the owner of those lands, admitted that they saw the artist alive or dead.
And most importantly, why did the captain put Caravaggio ashore? After all, the passenger paid half of the fare upon arrival.
And why did Caravaggio go to Porto Ercole when he needed to get to Rome? Moreover, Rome was much closer, but in the other direction. Caravaggio didn’t mix up the roads!
In 2010, in the town of Porto Ercole, where Caravaggio was supposedly heading, his remains were found. Many art historians doubt the authenticity of the find. The benefit for the town itself is too obvious. After all, the find was made exactly for the 400th anniversary of the artist’s death. Now Caravaggio has a grave and even a park around it. Not a bad attraction for tourists.
My version…
I think he was killed in Sicily. Or he was overtaken by members of the Ranuccio clan. After all, blood feud was almost commonplace in those days. Or the Knights of Malta, angry at Caravaggio.
Whoever the killers were, they clearly disposed of the body. And they came up with the story of “return to Rome.” In order to direct those who want to investigate this matter down the wrong path.
It is possible that Caravaggio himself surrendered to his pursuers at some point. Because I'm tired of the chase. Because he was tormented by pangs of conscience (judging by the picture). Because his beloved Lena was no longer waiting for him in Rome (shortly before her death, he learned that she had died of consumption).
Well, we can only guess. After 400 years, it is unlikely that anyone will be able to find the truth.
Read about the master’s main works in the articles
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Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio always been a bad student, a bad Christian, an unreliable friend, a disgusting comrade, a bad teacher - in short, always was terrible person. He died as an outcast as he had lived, in a squalid hospital in Porto Ercole, suffering from malarial fever. There were neither friends nor enemies near him at the time of death. No one except the old priest, lazily praying for the salvation of the painter’s soul.
Listing all of Caravaggio’s vices is so tedious and time-consuming that even six articles would not be enough to do it. He has murders, robberies, rapes, drunken fights, but his paintings adorn the walls best museums peace. The most ready to take him under guardianship influential people of its time. It was to become one of the main propaganda tools of the Catholic Church. But instead of wealth, luxurious life in palaces and high rank, the artist always preferred dirty slums. He saw beauty where, according to all canons, it could not exist. Now let's talk about everything in order.
He was only five years old when the plague claimed the lives of his father and grandfather. All that was left was the mother, a single woman trying to feed a crowd of children in Milan. Very little information has been preserved about this period of Caravaggio's life. The artist's mother, thinking only about how to feed her children, could not pay proper attention to them. As a result, the young genius spent most of his time on the city streets - they became his first school.
Milan has always been the center of trade in northern Italy. The dregs of society from all over Europe flocked here, dreaming of catching luck by the tail. Mercenaries, prostitutes, thieves, murderers - their motto was the phrase "No hope - no fear". Caravaggio learned this lesson well. Before starting to study painting, he mastered the art that could be most useful to him in life - fencing. At the age of 13, the future artist went to prison after a fight in a tavern that almost ended in murder. Then his mother sent him to the workshop of Peterzano’s student.
Her hopes that art classes would guide her son on the righteous path were ultimately unfulfilled. Michelangelo Caravaggio spent his evenings in taverns. Drunken fights, scandals and imprisonments followed one after another. But, despite this, the artist worked hard in the studio to develop his talent. He was not interested in anything other than alcohol, fighting and painting.
The turning point came in 1590. Then the painter’s mother died, who at least somehow tried to restrain her son’s explosive character. Now he had inherited money, which meant that there were even more drunken nights in Caravaggio’s life. And so, in another drunken brawl, the artist committed murder and, fleeing justice, fled Milan. But where could he go? Where could his talent be in demand? Naturally, there was only one answer - Rome!
At the end of the 16th century, a real ideological religious war was going on in Rome, and painting was the most powerful weapon of the Catholic Church in the fight against Protestants. It was the paintings that were supposed to reveal for huge amount illiterate parishioners the true meaning of Christianity, to show them those amazingly beautiful views of Paradise that awaited them only after death. Ideal bodies devoid of dirt and ugliness. Happiness gained through suffering on earth.
But the art of Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio was a challenge, a kind of slap in the face to public taste; he followed his own path and did not accept any compromises. He did not want to simply copy the works of the great masters of the past. He didn't believe all these attractive pictures. The plague epidemic that killed his father and grandfather taught Caravaggio how fleeting and fragile human life. Therefore, it is not surprising that it was he who created the first in history Italian painting still life.
You ask: “What do fruits and death have in common?” At first glance, there is nothing special in this work, but it reflects the artist’s worldview. If you noticed such a “Fruit Basket” at the market, you would most likely pass it by. Traces of decay are already visible on each of the fruits, the leaves have withered. This is a successfully captured moment of the transition of life into death, no embellishment, only reality with all its unsightly moments. However, this was just the beginning.
Michelangelo da Caravaggio's talent and his desire to go against all existing traditions were best revealed in another painting, painted in 1597. This is "Penitent Mary Magdalene." Having lived for many years in the slums, the artist knew very well what a suffering prostitute looks like when she decides to turn to faith.
Many masters turned to this popular subject of Renaissance painting. Giampetrino's canvas least of all resembles the image of a repentant sinner. No, it's the opposite of enjoying beauty young body. It corresponds to all the ideals of the Renaissance. How Giampetrino carefully depicts Magdalena’s curly red hair, flowing over her perfect breasts. There is so much ostentation in this, so much coquetry and desire to attract male attention. No, this is how prostitutes do not repent of their sins, this is how they recruit new clients.
Paintings by Titian and Luca Giordano almost exactly repeat each other in symbolism and manner of depiction. And again, their repentance looks fake. Eyes turned to the sky, full of tears, open shoulders (what is repentance without sexuality?), a skull reminiscent of the frailty of existence, and a book that leads to salvation, although they don’t even look at it.
Everything here is imbued with theatricality, everything here speaks of artificiality. This is clearly a staged shot, and Caravaggio always wanted to depict only real life and nothing else.
And his Magdalene really resembles a repentant sinner. Her eyes are downcast, there is thoughtful sorrow on her face, because, having decided to change his life, a person does not turn to heaven, he asks a question to himself. This is the finale of the transformation, the consequence of a storm of emotions, which is evidenced by the expensive jewelry scattered on the floor. There is not even a shadow of coquetry in this harlot. She is fully dressed, there is nothing provocative about her dress.
Moreover, this is clearly not clothing from antiquity, not even a stylization of it. This is how Caravaggio’s contemporaries walked. The artist seems to show that biblical stories are eternal, they do not exist only in the past, but take place in our Everyday life. There is not a single classical reference to holiness here. There is no crowd of naked cherub babies, no cross, no sky.
Before us is a gloomy room. Magdalena spent the whole night in a painful frenzy, similar to fever. And the morning came. The sunlight is still very weak, its soft rays are visible only in the upper right corner of the canvas. The heroine does not see them yet. This is that turning point in her life, when a return to the old is impossible, and the future is not yet clear at all. That same premonition of catharsis that is about to happen when he falls on a harlot sunlight. She was frozen between two realities. Her past lies in tattered pieces on the floor, and her future is just coming to her.
Special attention should be paid to the position of Magdalene’s hands. This is how a mother holds her child. And before us is the birth, not of a child, but the birth of faith.
This was such a new word in painting that Caravaggio could not help but notice. The canvas was bought for a lot of money by Vatican banker Vincenzo Giustiniani. All of Rome was talking about the artist! He is the main sensation, he is the future of religious war. At the age of 26, an orphan and criminal from Milan conquered the eternal City. Orders poured in one after another. And he created like a man possessed, without drafts or sketches, sometimes creating 5-6 large canvases a year. But any true genius needs a challenge. They became a series of two paintings dedicated to St. Matthew. But we will talk about them in the next article.
Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio is a famous Italian artist, author of religious paintings. Mostly he painted young men. The author's works are exhibited in best galleries world - Uffizi, Hermitage, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Louvre, Prado.
Childhood and youth
In one of the corners of Italy called Lombardy in 1571, the future artist Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio was born. Researchers have still not been able to determine the exact place and date of birth, and documentary evidence has not been preserved. Perhaps the creator was born in Milan or not far from it - in Caravaggio.
Michelangelo became the eldest son in the builder's family. The artist had three brothers and a younger sister. Caravaggio did not live poorly, since his father had a good salary and a construction education.
Five years after the birth of Caravaggio, a plague epidemic began in Milan. It was possible to avoid infection only by moving to another city. But it did not help. A year later, the head of the family dies after a long illness. This period became difficult for Caravaggio.
There are many blank spots in the artist’s biography. Information about the 8 years of Michelangelo’s life after the death of his father has sunk into oblivion. It is known that in 1584 the young man went to study with the Milanese Simone Peterzano. After completing the course, Caravaggio was supposed to be given the title of artist, but no official confirmation of this fact has survived.
In 1592, Caravaggio faced a new challenge - the loss of his mother. The inheritance was divided equally among the children. Thanks to this money, Michelangelo was able to travel to Rome. The artist was known as a man with a difficult character, he constantly got into fights and ended up in prison.
Painting
The first years of life in Rome were not easy for Caravaggio. The young artist could hardly earn enough for food and housing, but luck turned his way. The then fashionable painter Cesari d'Arpino accepted Michelangelo as an assistant in his personal workshop. The as yet unknown creator created still lifes on d’Arpino’s paintings. While working in the workshop, the author creates the works “Boy with a Basket of Fruits” and “Little Sick Bacchus.”
Soon, Cardinal Francesco Maria del Monte became Caravaggio's patron. The artist gained access to the creative society of Rome. In gratitude, Michelangelo presented the cardinal with his own painting “Fruit Basket”, and then several more works - “The Lute Player” and “Bacchus”.
During this period, Caravaggio produced several works that were included in the world heritage list. These are “Fortune Teller”, “Cupid the Winner”, “Narcissus”. New directions appear to the artist’s gaze - “pure” still life and “adventurism” in painting. Michelangelo's followers often used them in their works.
Caravaggio often resorted to religious themes. From early works One can highlight “Saint Martha talking to Mary Magdalene”, “Saint Catherine of Alexandria”, “Saint Mary Magdalene”, “The Ecstasy of Saint Francis”, “Judith and Holofernes”, “Rest on the Flight to Egypt”, “The Sacrifice of Abraham”.
At the end of the 16th century, Caravaggio painted two cycles of paintings telling about the life of the apostles. Some works were given to the Church of San Luigi dei Francesi, located in Rome. These paintings are dedicated to the Apostle Matthew. Two works have survived to this day - “The Martyrdom of the Apostle Matthew” and “The Calling of the Apostle Matthew”.
Two more chapels in the church of Santa Maria del Popolo in Rome are also decorated with works by Caravaggio. The Crucifixion of the Apostle Peter and the Conversion of Saul were located here. Cooperation with religious houses continued for quite a long time. Already in the 17th century, the paintings “Entombment”, “Madonna di Loreto” and “Assumption of Mary” appeared. The works were located in the churches of Sant'Agostino and Santa Maria in Valicella.
For the last few years of his life, Michelangelo Caravaggio wandered, trying to avoid punishment. IN creatively this period was rich in masterpieces. At this time, Caravaggio produced altar paintings “Madonna of the Rosary”, “Seven Works of Mercy”, “The Flagellation of Christ”. Their artist painted for Naples.
While in Malta, Caravaggio created Saint Jerome and The Beheading of John the Baptist. In Sicily, the maestro’s brush produced “The Burial of St. Lucia,” “The Raising of Lazarus,” and “The Adoration of the Shepherds.” At the end of his life, Michelangelo painted the painting “David with the Head of Goliath.” Presumably the work is a self-portrait.
One of the artist’s early works, “Boy Bitten by a Lizard,” is currently on display at the London National Gallery. The author painted the picture in two versions. Art historians are still arguing about who is depicted on the canvas. There are two versions: Caravaggio’s beloved or the maestro himself.
The Doria Pamphilj gallery houses another early work of the artist – “Penitent Marina Magdalene”. This is a rare painting of a young girl. Special attention Caravaggio paid attention to the details: there are jewelry on the floor, a jug with a drink, and patterns on the dress.
In the Uffizi you can look at interesting work Michelangelo. The painting “Medusa” was created on canvas stretched on a wooden backing. This creation was created especially for Cardinal Francesco Del Monte, who wanted to give a gift to Ferdinand I, Grand Duke of Tuscany.
The painting “John the Baptist” is kept in the Toledo Cathedral. The canvas depicts a young man. There are a lot of rumors surrounding this work. Art historians believe that the authorship may belong to one of Caravaggio’s followers. Others claim that the painting was painted by Michelangelo specifically for the rector of the Hospital of Consolation.
The National Gallery of Ireland houses the painting "The Kiss of Judas". The work is based on Caravaggio's ideas about the last days of life. There is a scandalous story associated with this painting. It turned out that a copy of the painting was presented in Odessa, which was subsequently stolen. Meanwhile, the original remains in Ireland to this day.
In the Borghese Gallery, located in Rome, you can get acquainted with another work by Michelangelo Caravaggio - “Madonna and Child and Saint Anne”. The canvas shows two women and a baby. Photos of many of Caravaggio's paintings are posted in special albums dedicated to world art.
Personal life
Michelangelo Caravaggio was unmarried. At the same time, the man preferred to draw naked young men rather than women. This led to the fact that many began to classify the artist as representatives of gay people. And in XX century Caravaggio They even called him a gay icon. No official evidence of this fact has yet been found.
In 1986, the film “Caravaggio” was released, in which they talked about unconventional sexual orientation Michelangelo. The artist's beloved was played by a British actor. This is his first role of this nature.
Death
In Italy, Michelangelo Caravaggio is known for his work, which caused a lot of controversy and scandals in society. Unfortunately, he caused indignation not only with his paintings, but also with his behavior. The offender regularly broke the law and was on the verge of imprisonment. Caravaggio did not have a permit to carry bladed weapons, but this did not stop the artist.
Michelangelo threw a tray at a waiter and broke glass in someone else's house. The guards got tired of this, so the artist was briefly imprisoned. And in 1606, a man killed a man. The tragedy happened during a ball game. To avoid being put behind bars, Caravaggio escaped. 4 last year The author of world masterpieces spent his life in exile.
Michelangelo hoped for a pardon, so he hid near Rome, but later left for Naples. Malta was on my travel list. On the island, the artist was knighted for his services to the Order of Malta. But again he showed an unrestrained character and entered into a fight. Moreover, Caravaggio’s opponent was a high-ranking adviser to the order. Soon the artist managed to escape from prison to Sicily.
The danger from the Italian authorities has passed, but a new one has appeared - representatives of the order. In 1609, Michelangelo managed to escape from them, but suffered greatly in the process. The pursuers disfigured the artist's face. Later, Caravaggio was again in prison, but by mistake. Death overtook the creator on July 18, 1610. Michelangelo died of malaria. The great artist was 39 years old.
Michelangelo Caravaggio was buried in a group grave. The man's remains were later found. The lead content in the bones turned out to be several times higher. Note that in those days this element was added to the paint. Perhaps it was not malaria that killed the artist, but his profession.
Works
- 1593 - “Young Man with a Basket of Fruits”
- 1595 - "Musicians"
- 1596 - "Boy Bitten by a Lizard"
- 1597 - "Penitent Magdalene"
- 1597 - "Medusa"
- 1598 - “Judith and Holofernes”
- 1599 - "Narcissus"
- 1600 - "Martyrdom of St. Matthew"
- 1601 - “The Crucifixion of St. Peter”
- 1602 - “Cupid the Winner”
- 1603 - “Burial of Christ”
- 1604 - “John the Baptist”
- 1605 - “Portrait of Pope Paul V”
- 1606 - “Mary Magdalene in ecstasy”
- 1607 - "Seven Acts of Mercy"
- 1608 - “Beheading of John the Baptist”
- 1609 - “The Raising of Lazarus”
- 1610 - “David with the head of Goliath”