Author: Megi Meji| University of Southampton| Contemporary Curatorial Program
Public account: Corn Poppy | provides professional petty bourgeois exhibitions and art life information
This is a fruit still life that I really like, it looks wonderful, the fruit looks full and beautiful, but it also has a rotten and dilapidated temperament.
Look closely, the ripe apple has ulcers, the various colored leaves have large and small insect eyes and spots, the most important thing is this fruit basket, slightly vacated, projecting a small piece of darkness on the edge of the table, accurately and humorously expressing the position relationship between objects.
Because of the precision of his depictions, botanists can use his paintings to study plant germ species.
This style of both gorgeous and realistic comes from today's protagonist.
Caravaggio, whose original name was Michelangelo Merriszi da Caravaggio, was an Italian painter from 1571 to 1610 whose experience of exile led him to be active in Rome, Naples, Genoa, and other places, as a pioneer of Baroque painting.
The word Baroque, a term used by later critics who satirized the artistic tendencies of the 17th century, is derived from the Spanish language and originally means "pearl of transfiguration", which by extension means absurd or weird.
To know that not respecting classical art at that time was a sad and funny degeneration, that is, Baroque.
How ridiculous the prejudices of that time seem today.
But it is so familiar, human prejudice against art has never left, the paintings they can't understand are "garbage", deviating from the so-called common sense is "can't paint".
So how did this style come about?
This is related to the famous conference "Trento Council" held in Rome, Italy, in the 16th century, which lasted for 18 years, with the participation of Italy, Spain, Germany and France, and finally the conference reaffirmed the monopoly of the Catholic Church and declared all Protestants heretics.
At that time, art served some purpose, such as religious propaganda. In order to spread the triumph and splendor of Catholicism, while at the same time masking the economic and differential realities in society, painting with religious colors became a material that was in great demand.
In 1592, Giuseppe Cessari, a painter favored by Pope Clement VIII, was short of "gunners", and it was this opportunity that led Caravaggio to start a new artistic style.
In 1594, after a serious illness, he retired as a stand-in and began to start his own business.
At that time he reached the lowest point in his life, but it was also at this time that he made very important friendships: the painter Prospero Orsi, the architect Honorio Longi, and the 16-year-old Sicilian artist Mario Minnity.
Orsi, who had already established himself in the world, introduced Caravaggio to influential collectors; Longi desperately brought him into the world of fighting on the streets of Rome; and Minnetti became his most frequent model and companion.
His paintings were then favored by Francisco Del Monte, the cardinal of the time and the great collector of art in Rome.
This "Old Thousand" creates a dramatic tension through the expressions and actions of the characters, a calm teenager, a clumsy voyeur, a cheater who desperately hides the tension, and the good drama of two old people colluding to cheat money is staged in this way.
The last time I mentioned drama or Rembrandt, but the drama of Rembrandt's picture is mainly reflected in the use of light, remember one of the examination points for art students "Rembrandt light"? vol.3| Rembrandt| painter who does not light is not a good director
Usually, an oil painting can only be frozen in a moment, but Caravaggio can always lock this moment in the most confusing moment.
The next moment, how the plot will develop, as if n versions have been staged in the audience's mind, and his ability to tell stories is very strong.
In this way, Francisco Del Monte's Series A investment as Caravaggio gave him the opportunity to create religious paintings for various churches, which began to shock the world.
This painting of The Calling of St. Matthew, where is Christ? Who is Matthew? Where is this place? What are you doing?
The solution is in a tavern, everyone is gambling money, Christ, in the light of a beam of light, finds Matthew, and the ordinary Matthew points to himself in surprise.
Just when Party A felt that it was not respectful enough, not sacred enough, and wanted to return the goods, the public's response was very good.
Because there is no description of jesus and Matthew in the Bible, Caravaggio draws on everyday life.
This sends a signal that neither drunkards nor gamblers have been forgotten by the Holy Light, that all sentient beings may be redeemed, and that saints can be so ordinary.
The painting "The Burial of Christ" was also almost returned, because not only did he not paint a sense of holiness, but he directly painted a dead body, and yes, he treated Christ as a dead body.
This brain circuit was not good at the time, and this kind of religious painting, which tended to be real and had not been scrutinized, was deeply hated by those who disapproved of Caravaggio for a long time!
But Caravaggio, with a large pool of patrons, artist friends and popular fans, remained unaffected, and orders from high society and government agencies continued to flow.
But people love to drift when they are red, they don't know how to play when they make more money, caravaggio at that time often drank and drunk on the street to do "ancient puzzle boys", fighting and causing trouble is commonplace, being invited to drink tea can also be withdrawn, and his upper-class friends can always help him balance everything.
It wasn't until 1606 that the mad Caravaggio really got into trouble, he killed people!
The family of the deceased is in a hurry and pays to summon the "bounty hunter"! To reward Caravaggio's head!
From then on, he began a life of exile.
First he arrived in Naples in southern Italy, but soon with his own brush, Caravaggio blended into the upper class.
Red too quickly also means that the reputation is out, may be afraid that the hunter will find himself too quickly, he chose to continue to flee south, this time is a small island - Malta.
There was a Knights in Malta, which could be understood as a legitimate gang organization with rights, and Caravaggio, seeing the opportunity to turn around, quickly painted a portrait of the regimental commander Arov de Wignaco, afraid of horse farts!
In this painting, his head is temporarily protected. Then he created the famous "Beheaded John the Baptist", which is also the largest work of his life, 5 meters long and 3 meters wide!
There is a small detail, that caravaggio left his only signature on this masterpiece, which is located on the blood that John vomited, and it is not known whether he is atonement for his sins or "madness".
In 1608, he committed another crime, this time by a respected predecessor of the Knights, who provoked the wrong people and was sent to prison.
But the magic happened again, he escaped from prison!
During the time he was chased and killed in Naples and Sicily, he painted some works, such as cutting off his head and asking for forgiveness.
But before the painting could reach the leader and the red-robed master, he died a miserable death in his hometown on the way back to Rome.
At the age of 39, caravaggio, the painter, died of his own irritability and irritability, and his roller coaster-like life drove to the end.