Italian painter
Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio*
was born,
September 29, 1571
in Milan, Italy.
✻ Caravaggio is actually the name of his home town in Lombardy in northern Italy
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An artist who lived a short and tempestuous life matching the drama of his works. He is considered the first great representative of the Baroque school. Caravaggio is known for his characteristic depiction of light and use of live models. Using the techniques of chiaroscuro, also known as tenebrism*, the artist painted shadows to compose forms and highlight areas of color within a given scene.
He’s been characterized as arrogant, dangerous, enigmatic, fascinating, rebellious and a murderer among other things, undoubtedly though, he was one of the most [if not THE most] influential painters in the history of art. Caravaggio was also one of the most widely imitated artists in the history of western art, with many followers, some of which formed the Caravaggisti.
There are many stories about him and his turbulent life that can be found in books or the internet, however this is a post honoring this great master’s art.
✻Tenebrism, in the history of Western painting, the use of extreme contrasts of light and dark in figurative compositions to heighten their dramatic effect. (The term is derived from the Latin tenebrae, “darkness.”) In tenebrist paintings, the figures are often portrayed against a background of intense darkness, but the figures themselves are illuminated by a bright, searching light that sets off their three-dimensional forms by a harsh but exquisitely controlled chiaroscuro. The technique was actually introduced by Caravaggio.
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So here’s a glimpse of his work & very very few words
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“I am always learning.“
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“All works, no matter what or by whom painted, are nothing but bagatelles and childish trifles… unless they are made and painted from life, and there can be nothing… better than to follow nature.”
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“Amor Vincit Omnia (Love conquers all).”
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I’ve chosen two Italian composers of his time to listen to:
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Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina [1525–1594]
Viri Galilaei
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Ensemble Vocal Europeén de la Chapelle Royale
Dir : Philippe Herreweghe
&
Giovanni Paolo Cima [c. 1570 – 1630]
Sonata for violin and cello
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San Francisco early music ensemble Voices of Music
Elizabeth Blumenstock, baroque violin
Elisabeth Reed, baroque cello
Hanneke van Proosdij, baroque organ
David Tayler, Theorbo. Pitch: 466Hz; temperament: meantone
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For more information on Caravaggio:
https://www.caravaggio-foundation.org/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caravaggio
https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/artists/michelangelo-merisi-da-caravaggio
https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/435844
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Caravaggio
Marina Kanavaki 
Alway great to review these posts, Marina!
Drew AGM Marina last night!
Will send it tomorrow. LOL, I should draw some feet!
xoxoxoxoxoxoxo xoxoxo 🧽🧽
Awwww… can’t wait to see!
Who needs feet?!!!!!!
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
🌹🌷❤🌷🌹❤🌷🌹❤🌷🌹❤🌷🌹❤🌷🌹❤
LOL!!!! Hera needs feet, for when she bounds over with kisses!
xxxxx 🧽🧽🤣🤣xxxxx 🧽🧽🤣🤣xxxxx 🧽🧽🤣🤣
Well… okay!!!!! 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡
xoxoxoxoxoxo
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could there have been a more masterful artists than he? His paintings are breathtaking…”The Rest on the Flight into Egypt”…so stunning, each and every one and to accompany surely some of the most beautiful music ever. Thank you dear Marina! ❤
Oh, indeed! So glad you enjoyed this, my dear Holly! ❤⚘❤
The beauty is breathtaking ! ❤️🌹
Very very true!!!!! ❤🌷❤
An amazing artist, his art is so like real life. Thank you, also for the music.
Amazing indeed… Thank you for reading! 🙏😊
Most of these paintings are quite disturbing–but it’s hard to look away.
Very hard, I agree, and even harder to realize the extend of this painter’s talent! 🙏
I find the art of painting to be pretty much prestidigitation, particularly painting with very fine detail.
Pure magic! 😉
🙂
🙏😘
He was definitely an amazing painter…like early photographs, in a sense.
Some of the subject matter of the times is quite gruesome, religion making it okay, somehow.
Prefer I: his portraits of musicians, Boy with Basket of Fruit, Love Conquers All and the 2 Fortunetellers.
A fun challenge for us, Marina! Can we each find 12 things different between the Fortune Teller &The Gypsy Fortune Teller? I think found 10 so far!
xo??xo??xo??xo??xo??xo??xo??xo??xo??xo??xo??xo??
The music was perfect!
Ah, yes, there are quite a few differences! 😉😉
He was an extraordinary painter and I mean that with the full / enhanced meaning of the word EXTRAORDINARY!
I’m so glad you enjoyed this humble tribute to such a huge master!
Speaking of huge: huge hugs are coming your way and kisses along with tail wags (well, not from me… Hera sends them!)
Happy Tuesday! 🤗😘🤗😘🤗😘🤗
xoxoxooxoxooxooooxoxoxoxoxoxo
That was for Hera!
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo
That’s for you!
Awwwwww…………. hugs and paws, paws and hugs to you and J&J!!!!!!! Arrrrrrrrrrr!!!! xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo
MEOW!!!
xoxoxoxoooooxxxxxxooooo
Woof!!!!! 🐾😘🐾😘🐾😘🐾
Thanks for this post, Marina! Caravaggio is my favourite artist from this period. He also was probably the artist with the most WILD life at that time. That’s OK to be a Master at his craft and NOT do things like everyone else. His results show that he was doing something right, and that matters a lot.
One can never know the facts or at least the details of his life but it is well known that great minds [as he was] are very often troubled and I’m not saying that in a ‘negative’ way. Of course he was doing more than something right! 😉 Such talent is just too much to grasp… especially nowadays. Thank you, my friend!
Le Peintre des Ames …!!!
Exactly! [Absolument!] 🙏
A most impressive talent.
✨☀️🙏🕉️♾️☮️🙏☀️✨
Oh yes… such talent is just too much to grasp!
🙏
Another compilation for us to savor. Thank you, Marina. The use of tenebrism and chiaroscuro in his religious works are stunning exemplars. He also seemed to plumb the depths of anatomy in these as well, whereas some of the others seem more superficial depictions. Wonderful!!
This is very true. I think it’s a combination of anatomy knowledge and deep understanding of human emotions. He’s capturing the very souls. One can ‘read’ so much on every inch of a body and face depicted… it’s almost unfathomable what he does.
I’m so happy you enjoyed this very limited and humble homage to him.
I have a high especial respect and am in awe for those artists whose wonderful works were way ahead of the photography era.
Art
Me too, Art and he was a great great master in every way!