An actor in a troupe
Through smooth movements
Seamless fit
Miraculously restored 13 of Arawach's masterpieces
01
The Burial of Christ
the entombment of christ
Circa 1602-1603, Vatican Museums
This is one of Caravaggio's most famous and mature works. This altarpiece depicts the tragic burial of Christ by the Virgin and the Faithful after his crucifixion, and is now treasured by the Vatican Gallery.
Caravaggio is a painter who pursues a sense of reality, so the characters in the painting, although they are very sad about the death of Jesus, have different expressions, some are relatively calm, some are very excited. Then think back to the expressions of the imitators... It's really hard work.
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02
The Ecstasy of Mary Magdalene
mary magdalen in ecstasy
Circa 1606, private collection
The work was lost for more than 400 years, leaving only 8 copies. It wasn't until 2014 that the Italian art historian Mina Gregori discovered that a replica in the hands of an anonymous European collector was actually a genuine copy.
The obsessive woman in the painting is Jesus' disciple "Mary Magdalene." The reason why she made this expression, and even tears in her eyes, was because she was being inspired by God.
03
The Passion of St. Peter
the crucifixion of saint peter
Circa 1601, Church of Santa Maria del Popolo
The believer who died with a very twisted method was named Peter. He began as a fisherman and later became one of jesus' twelve disciples.
According to the Bible, when Jesus was interrogated, he refused to acknowledge his relationship with Jesus three times out of fear. So later, when he was martyred for Rome, because he felt that he did not deserve the same death method as Jesus, he asked the executioner to hang him upside down on the cross.
04
The Beheaded Saint John the Baptist
the beheading of saint john
Circa 1608, Vice-Cathedral of San Giovanni in Valletta, Malta
This painting is a single altarpiece by Caravaggio, commissioned by the Knights of Malta, and the largest single altarpiece ever painted by Caravaggio.
The background of the picture is taken from a prison recorded in the Criminal Code of the Knights of Malta. "Death" was the tone of Caravaggio's late work, and there were a large number of beheading paintings, and even used himself as a model for beheading, which is extremely rare in art history.
05
Judith Cuts Off Holofens' Head
judith beheading holofernes
Circa 1599-1602, National Gallery of Painting in Rome
Caravaggio painted a lot of works on the theme of "decapitation", which is the most famous one. The painting depicts a biblical Old Testament story in which the widow Judith, with her maid, went to her tent and seduced Holophans, the commander of the Assyrian Empire who had come to attack the Jews. After drunk him, he cut off his head.
It is worth mentioning that the unlucky manager who was beheaded is actually a self-portrait of Caravaggio. It is said that because he felt that his sins were so great, he prayed for forgiveness in this way.
06
The Flogged Jesus
flagellation of christ
Circa 1607, Church of Santa Maria del Popolo
This painting is one of Caravaggio's most beautiful, yet saddest. The contrast between the innocent victim and the torturer in the picture is stark. As a result, emotions are maximized in such a tangled tragic scene.
Notice that the right executioner's leg is pressing against Jesus' calf. There is no doubt that he is enjoying the job. In Caravaggio's religious paintings, he never shy away from the truth that human beings hurt each other whenever they have the chance. The painting seems to say: How much people enjoy it all.
07
The Passion of St. Matthew
the martyrdom of saint matthew
Circa 1599-1600, Church of San Luge, Rome
Look closely at the person behind the left side of the knife holder, is the eye familiar?
That's right, Caravaggio painted himself in it again. But this time he finally let himself go, acted as a passerby, and escaped the fate of death.
08
The Annunciation of our Lady
the annunciation
Circa 1608, Musée d'Arte Nancy, France
This painting is more concise and easy to understand, that is, the theme of the Virgin Mary, a particularly common subject, the angel Gabriel, descends from the sky with a holy lily in hand, telling Mary what God has arranged for her, and the Virgin meekly accepts her fate.
The angel in the painting has its back to the viewer, the face of the Virgin, full of a sense of divine mission.
09
"Escape to Egypt"
rest on the flight into egypt
Circa 1597, Museo dei Pamphili, Doria, Rome
The painting is based on the Bible and depicts the Virgin Mary and Joseph, with the newly born Christ, fleeing to Egypt to escape the slaughter of Herod of Judea.
The style of the painting is unpretentious, with a serene softness of Caravaggio's early works. The saint Joseph in the painting looks like an ordinary laborer, his face is weathered and his forehead is wrinkled. Caravaggio was adept at incorporating this critical spirit throughout his work.
10
"Narcissus Boy"
narcissus
Circa 1597-1599, National Gallery of Painting in Rome
In ancient Greek mythology, there was a handsome teenager who went to a lake every day to admire his beauty. He was so obsessed with his appearance that one day he fell into a lake and drowned. Later, a flower grew where he fell into the water, and people called it a daffodil.
This is a rare painting by Caravaggio that is based on Greek mythology. The lakeside teenager's low-hanging head, with his hands propped up in an arc, is just like the symmetrical reflection in the water, connected into a closed and complete circle, interpreting the theme of narcissism and also revealing his homosexual tendencies.
11
The Resurrection of Lazarus
the raising of lazarus
Circa 1609, Museo Regionale de Messina, Italy
The stiff man in the center of the picture is Lazarus. He was the brother of Mary Magdalene and a good friend of Jesus. According to the Gospel of John, Lazarus died of an illness, and four days later Jesus came to his tomb and commanded him to come out. So Lazarus was resurrected and came out of the tomb.
What is shown in the painting is this scene of resurrection. Jesus held out his hand as if "God said there would be light," and the crowd saw Jesus' miracles, and many people believed in Jesus from then on.
12
The Holy Marks of St. Francis
saint francis of assisi in ecstasy
Circa 1595, Wadsworth Museum of Art, USA
St. Francis is a Catholic saint and the founder of the Franciscans and the Poor Sisters. He came from a wealthy background, but he gave up inheriting his family business and spent his life begging and preaching.
It is said that in order to assist St. Francis in his poverty alleviation sermons, in 1224 God showed a different appearance — a six-winged angel imprinted on him the five wounds (i.e., hands, feet, and left flanks) suffered by Jesus during his crucifixion, which were used to impress the iron heart of sinners and make them change their past wrongs and convert to God.
13
Bacchus, Dionysus
bacchus
Circa 1595, Uffizi Gallery, Florence
The painting was created by Caravaggio, shortly after joining his first major patron, cardinal Del Monte's house, and is therefore considered a metaphor for cardinals, the fondness of young boys.
The half-naked Dionysian reclined in a chair with red wine on the table and a glass of red wine in his hand, looking slightly drunk. There is an air of ambiguity and pleasure in the lazy eyes, as if inviting the audience to a banquet.
What makes Caravaggio's work great?
A quote from the 1920s critic Roberto Longi:
"There is no Caravaggio,
There would be no Ribera, Vermeer, La Tour and Rembrandt;
Without him,
Delacroix, Courbet and Manet
It will be something else entirely. ”
Bernard Berensen, who was influential at the time, agreed:
"Except for Michelangelo,
No other Italian painter had such a great influence. ”
Attached: Caravaggio works
The Call of St. Matthew, Caravaggio, 1508, oil on canvas, 322×340 cm
Chapel of The Holy King Louis, Rome
At the same time, Caravaggio's populist depiction of religious figures was groundbreaking, presenting biblical figures in a non-idealized way by increasing signs of age and poverty. This helps to humanize the divine and make them more accessible to ordinary viewers.
Caravaggio was never married and had no children, and his many sensual depictions of young men, combined with the lack of erotic female characters in his work, sparked discussions surrounding his sexuality.
Although Caravaggio lived only to the age of 39, he had a profound influence on the painters around him and on later artistic movements, especially Baroque art and 19th-century realism.
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Video source: Skyland