Caravaggio works. Biography of Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio

The painting was created by the painter in 1608 on a well-known plot - the execution of John the Baptist. This is the last stage of the work of Caravaggio (real name - Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio), when his canvases are completely immersed in the […]

The canvas was commissioned by the aristocratic Cavaletti family as an altarpiece for the family church chapel at Sant'Agostino in Rome. The picture was painted in two stages with a break due to a conflict with a notary who objected […]

In the 17th-18th centuries, the depiction of genre scenes became widespread in art, making it possible to capture the images of the participants from curious angles, outlining the diverse experiences of the characters. Caravaggio himself made a significant contribution to the development of the European […]

Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio is considered the founder of realism in painting. After him, not a single sketch or drawing remained - Caravaggio immediately embodied all his ideas on canvas. The artist's life was very peculiar. […]

The artist turned to biblical subjects many times. It seemed that while working on the paintings he was looking for something very important for himself. The bright color distinction between the mundane and the higher in his canvases creates […]

Throughout his life, the artist was looking for answers to questions in biblical stories. Attacks of anger and intemperance more than once played a sad role in his wanderings and hard life. The older the artist got, the […]

This painting was commissioned from the artist by Cardinal Scipione Borghese. David and Goliath, based on biblical information, were the heroes of antiquity. David was to become the king of the Jews, and Goliath was a giant - a Philistine. One […]

Caravaggio is rightfully considered not only the best master in the entire history of the development of art, but also one of the brightest and most talented representatives of such a style of drawing and displaying paintings as baroque. A little […]

Michelangelo Caravaggio (1571-1610) is an Italian artist who abandoned the manner of painting characteristic of his era and laid the foundation for realism. His works reflect the worldview of the author, his indefatigable 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 had a lot of trials at 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 an ecclesiastical reaction. All this could not but affect the 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 that were far from reality. The mannerism supported by the church, which originated in the middle of the 16th century, was a subjective trend, 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 monumentality of forms, opposed to 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, named after his death "caravagism", originates in the pictorial traditions of Northern Italy. One of Michelangelo Merisi's teachers in Milan was Simone Peterzano. Probably, it was from him that the artist learned to use the contrast of light and shadow, which later became one of the main distinguishing features of many of his canvases.

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 academism, but laid the foundation for a new trend, often causing 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 from 1592 to 1594, when Michelangelo lived and worked in Rome.

Provincial

Michelangelo Caravaggio, whose biography, creativity and whole life are inextricably linked with provincial cities, even depicted ordinary people in canvases on religious themes. The heroes of his paintings are far from ancient ideals, they could be found on the streets of Italian villages. The artist created a lot of genre paintings (for example, "Fortuneteller", "Young Man with a Lute"), in a realistic manner, conveying the life of the common people. In his paintings, depicting various scenes from the Holy Scriptures, far from canonical details appeared, making church ministers and martyrs not idols, but simple and understandable people. Among these paintings can be called "Magdalene" and "Matthew the Apostle."

Characteristic features of the works of Michelangelo Caravaggio are realism, sometimes reaching extreme naturalism, laconic composition, the play of light and shadow, and the use of restrained colors.

"The Call of the Apostle Matthew"

The famous cycle of works for the church of San Luigi dei Francesi, depicting episodes from the life of St. Matthew, the artist created in the last decade of the 16th century. The best among them is often called "The Calling of the Apostle Matthew." The composition acquires special expressiveness due to the contrast of light and shadow. All the main details: - the finger of Christ, the face of the apostle - are brightly lit. The shadow covers minor elements of the canvas. Light creates a special movement of the picture, directs the viewer's eye. The artist in this picture also found a place for realism and details typical of everyday situations. He depicted St. Matthew, the tax collector, counting money along with helpers. All the heroes of the picture, except for Christ and the Apostle Peter, are dressed in costumes modern for Caravaggio. The skill of the artist found expression 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 Michelangelo Merisi describe. He persistently developed realism, despite the criticism and opposition of the church. The artist created his most significant works in 1600-1606. These include the paintings "Vision of Saul", "Martyrdom of the Apostle Peter", "Assumption" and others. These paintings caused disapproval from the church because of the deviation from the accepted manner of depiction, unnecessary, according to Catholic dignitaries, realism and materialism.

Glory and escape from Rome

“The Entombment” is one of the paintings by Michelangelo Caravaggio, whose photo invariably accompanies the description of the artist’s biography. The unusually strong emotional effect produced by the canvas was achieved by the master with the help of light and shade contrast. The work was created for the church of Santa Maria in Vallicella in the Eternal City. The dramatic plot of the position in the tomb of the body of the Savior is written by the artist in white, red and blue tones, the tense confrontation of which multiplies the effect of the play of light and shadow. This canvas was recognized as a masterpiece not only among the admirers and followers of the master, but also by his enemies.

And it was at the very 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 the opponent and was forced to leave the city.

Last years

Hiding from justice, the artist continued to work, although his living conditions sometimes became unbearably difficult. In Naples, he wrote "Madonna with a rosary", "Seven works of mercy". The last picture of these is a combination of several different subjects. Despite the complex composition, the canvas does not fall apart into separate parts. The artist managed to arrange the plots into a single whole.

In Malta, having quarreled with a nobleman, Caravaggio was imprisoned and then fled to Sicily. The works of the last period of the master's life are poorly preserved. Pictures related to this time are full of drama. These include the Burial of St. Lucia", "The Beheading of John the Baptist", "The Adoration of the Shepherds". These paintings are united by the night space, acting as a backdrop for the main action and reluctantly parting, showing the heroes of the canvas.

The last years of Caravaggio spent 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 disposed to meet him halfway. On the way to the Eternal City, the artist fell ill. He died at Porto d'Ercole in 1610 from a fever.

The Italian artist Michelangelo Caravaggio, whose photographs adorn all the works on the history of art of the 17th century, had a huge influence on the development of painting. It is hard to imagine how many more masterpieces the master could have created if his life had not ended at the age of 38. However, the fact that the artist managed to create made him one of the most revered masters of the past. Having become the ancestor of realism, he inspired many famous painters of Western Europe to create masterpieces. Rubens, Rembrandt, Velasquez and many others belong to their number. The followers of Michelangelo Merisi in Italy began to call themselves caravagists, paying tribute to the pioneer of the genre.

Brief biography of Caravaggio

Caravaggio Michelangelo Merisi da (1573-1610), Italian painter.

Born September 28, 1573 in the town of Caravaggio in Lombardy (Northern Italy). He received his art education in Milan. He moved to Rome around 1590. The first years of his life here he earned by painting flowers and fruits in the paintings of other artists. Then he began to independently create genre works and still lifes. The main thing in the works of Caravaggio is the characteristic types of people. The painter asserted the superiority of direct reproduction of the surrounding world, the simplicity and naturalness of everyday life (“Girl with a Lute”, 1595).

He often chose religious themes.

The amazing concreteness and materiality of forms, the bold interpretation of biblical characters, which the artist endowed with resemblance to the common people - all this brought him scandalous fame. Often, Caravaggio interpreted religious subjects as genre scenes (The Calling of Matthew, 1597-1601; Conversion of Paul, 1601; Unbelief of Thomas, 1603). The saints and martyrs in his paintings are strong, full-blooded people. Caravaggio knew the life of the people very well and made him the hero of his works.

From picture to picture, the drama of perception intensifies, an increasing attraction to monumentality is manifested, the tragic power of images grows (“The Entombment”, 1604; “Assumption of Mary”, 1605-1606, etc.).

The harsh realism of Caravaggio was not understood by his contemporaries, causing attacks from the clergy and officials. But the artist kept all his life loyalty his convictions, inner independence, perseverance in achieving the goal. A man of violent temperament, he aggravated his situation with his temper. After in time ball game he killed his opponent, Caravaggio fled from Rome.

The last years of his life were spent in wanderings. He died on July 8, 1610 in Port Erco-le (Grand Duchy of Tuscany, now in Central Italy).

Caravaggio was the largest representative of the realistic trend in Italian art of the 17th century, who had a huge impact on the development of all realistic painting in Europe.

Michelangelo da Caravaggio

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"Summary"

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The “cellar light”, penetrating into a dark room after Christ and St. Peter, highlights the figures of the people gathered around the table and at the same time emphasizes the miraculous nature of the appearance of Christ and St. Peter, his reality and at the same time unreality, snatching out of the darkness only part of the profile of Jesus, the thin brush of his outstretched hand, the yellow cloak of St. Peter, while their figures dimly emerge from the shadows.

In the second picture of this cycle - “The Martyrdom of St. Matthew" - the desire for a more bravura and spectacular solution prevailed. The third picture is "St. Matthew and the Angel” (subsequently located in the Berlin Museum of the Emperor Friedrich and died during the Second World War) was rejected by the customers, shocked by the rude, commonplace appearance of the apostle. In the altar paintings "The Martyrdom of St. Peter" and "The Conversion of Saul" (1600-1601, Santa Maria del Popolo, Cerasi Chapel, Rome) Caravaggio finds a balance between dramatic pathos and defiant naturalistic details. Even more organically, he combines the emphatically plebeian appearance of the characters and the depth of dramatic pathos in the mournfully solemn altarpieces The Entombment (1602-1604, Vatican Pinakothek) and The Assumption of Mary (1605-1606, Louvre), which aroused the admiration of young artists, including Rubens (at his insistence, the "Assumption of Mary", rejected by the customers, was bought by the Duke of Mantua).

Studied under Simone Peterzano in Milan. In 1592-1594. moved to Rome, where he acquired the patronage of Cardinal del Monte. In May 1606, after a quarrel during a ball game and the murder of a quarrel participant in a duel, he was forced to flee from Rome to Naples, from where in 1607 he moved to the island of Malta. Here, having come into conflict with a powerful nobleman, he was thrown into prison and fled to Sicily. In 1608-1609, pursued by assassins sent by the same nobleman, he wandered through the cities of Sicily and southern Italy, in 1610, counting on the help of Roman patrons and the forgiveness of the pope, he went to Rome. On the way, he was mistakenly arrested by Spanish customs officers, then continued on his way and in the town of Porto d'Ercole died of a fever at the age of 38.

Caravaggio (real name and surname Michelangelo da Merisi, Michelangelo da Merisi), Italian painter. The largest representative of the art of the Baroque era. Until the early 1590s, he studied with the Milanese artist S. Peterzano; in 1592 he left for Rome, on the way he may have visited Venice. It was formed under the influence of northern Italian masters (G. Savoldo, A. Moretto, G. Romanino, L. Lotto). For some time he worked as an assistant to the Roman mannerist artist G. Cesari (Cavalier d'Arpino), in whose studio he performed his first works ("Boy with a Basket of Fruit", 1593-94; "Sick Bacchus", about 1593, both - in the Borghese Gallery , Rome). Thanks to the art dealer Maestro Valentino, Caravaggio met Cardinal Francesco Maria del Monte, who became the patron of the master and introduced him to the artistic environment of Rome. The best paintings of the early Roman period were painted for Cardinal del Monte: "Bacchus" (1595-97, Uffizi Gallery, Florence), "Lute Player" (1595-97, Hermitage, St. Petersburg), "Fruit Basket" (1598-1601 , Pinacoteca Ambrosiana, Milan). In the works of the late 1590s, the mastery of the illusionistic transfer of materiality (which is especially noticeable in the still lifes that the artist includes in his paintings) is combined with its poeticization. Full of poetic charm and classical reminiscences, mythological images-allegories ("Concert", 1595-97, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; "Cupid the Conqueror", circa 1603, Art Gallery, Berlin) in addition to the literal carry a hidden meaning, understandable to the educated Roman public of that time and often inaccessible to the modern audience.

At this time, Caravaggio opens up new possibilities for painting, turning for the first time to still life and the “adventurous” genre (“The Fortuneteller”, circa 1596-97, Louvre, Paris), which was further developed among his followers and became very popular in European painting of the 17th century, as well as to the depiction of the mythological image as a common folk type ("Narcissus", 1598-99, National Gallery of Old Art, Rome). In his early religious works, the poetic interpretation of the plot as a moral example (St. Martha Conversing with Mary Magdalene, circa 1598, Institute of Arts, Detroit; St. Catherine of Alexandria, circa 1598, Thyssen-Bornemisza Collection, Madrid), as profound spiritual experience ("St. Mary Magdalene", about 1596-97, Doria-Pamphilj Gallery, Rome; "The Ecstasy of St. Francis", 1597-98, Wadsworth Atheneum, Hartford, USA), as a manifest divine presence in the world ("Rest on the way to Egypt", 1596-97, Doria-Pamphilj Gallery, Rome) is combined with dramatic scenes of violence and death ("Judith", circa 1598, National Gallery of Old Art, Rome; "The Sacrifice of Abraham", 1601-02, gallery Uffizi, Florence).

Caravaggio's first major church commission was a cycle of paintings for the chapel of the French cardinal Matteo Contarelli in the church of San Luigi dei Francesi (1599-1600) in Rome. In the scenes of the calling and martyrdom of the Apostle Matthew, Caravaggio fundamentally renews the concept of the religious picture, in which light begins to play a special role, transforming and dramatizing the gospel event. In “The Calling of the Apostle Matthew” (see illustrations for the article Jesus Christ), the light that cuts through the darkness of the room has both a real physical nature and a metaphorical meaning (the light of Divine truth that illuminates the path to salvation). The bewitching expressiveness of Caravaggio's paintings is based on the ability to accurately convey the real motive, while not reducing it to the ordinary. The first version of the altarpiece for the chapel of St. Matthew and the Angel" (1602, died in Berlin during the 2nd World War) was rejected by the customers because of the overly simple appearance of the apostle. In the final version (1602-03), Caravaggio achieved greater coherence and solemnity of the composition, while maintaining a lively spontaneity in the appearance and movement of the two figures.

In 1601, Caravaggio painted two paintings - "The Conversion of Saul" and "The Crucifixion of the Apostle Peter" for the T. Cerasi chapel in the church of Santa Maria del Popolo in Rome. In them, as in the cycle for the Contarelli Chapel, a new religious attitude, characteristic of the time of the Counter-Reformation, found expression: the everyday everyday life of human existence is transformed by the Divine presence; the sincere faith of the poor and the suffering is manifested in piety, in the purity of the people's mercy. Each work of Caravaggio is a living fragment of reality, depicted with maximum authenticity and deeply experienced by the artist, who is trying to comprehend the events of Christian history, understand their motives and translate his thoughts into plastic forms that obey the laws of figurative dramaturgy. The realism of the religious works of Caravaggio, far from the ideals of beauty developed by the masters of the Renaissance, is close to the religious ethics of St. Charles Borromeo and the folk piety of F. Neri, which is especially noticeable in such works of the Roman period as "Christ at Emmaus" (1601, National Gallery, London) , "Assurance of Thomas" (1602-03, Sanssouci Palace, Potsdam), "Madonna with Pilgrims" (1604-05, Sant'Agostino Church, Rome) and "Madonna with a Snake" (1605-08, Borghese Gallery), "Saint Jerome" (1605-06, Borghese Gallery). The best works of Caravaggio of this time are distinguished by dramatic power: “The Entombment” (1602-04, Vatican Pinacoteca) and “Assumption of Mary” (circa 1600-03, Louvre, Paris), in which he reaches the fullness of creative maturity. Powerful contrasts of light and shadow, common folk unpretentiousness of images, expressive laconism of gestures with energetic modeling of plastic volumes and saturation of sonorous coloring allow the artist to achieve unprecedented depth and sincerity in conveying religious feelings, encourage the viewer to empathize with the events of the gospel drama.

Caravaggio's independent nature often brought him into conflict with the law. In 1606, during a ball game, Caravaggio committed a murder in a quarrel, after which he fled from Rome to Naples, from where in 1607 he moved to the island of Malta, where he was admitted to the Order of Malta. However, after a quarrel with a high-ranking member of the order, the artist was thrown into prison, from where he fled to the island of Sicily. Due to persecution by the Order of Malta, which expelled him from their ranks, in 1610 he decided to return to Rome, hoping for the help of influential patrons, but died of a fever along the way. During the period of wanderings, Caravaggio created a number of outstanding works of religious painting. In Naples in 1606-07, he painted large altarpieces for the Church of San Domenico Maggiore, The Seven Works of Mercy (Pio Monte della Misericordia, Naples), Madonna of the Rosary (Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna) and The Flagellation of Christ (Capodimonte Museum, Naples); in Malta in 1607-08 - "The Beheading of John the Baptist" and "Saint Jerome" (both - in the Church of John the Baptist, Valletta); in Sicily in 1609 - “The burial of St. Lucia" for the church of Santa Lucia (Regional Museum of Palazzo Bellomo, Syracuse), "The Resurrection of Lazarus" for the Genoese merchant Lazzari and "The Adoration of the Shepherds" for the church of Santa Maria degli Angeli (both in the National Museum, Messina). The intense drama inherent in the artist's art acquires the character of an epic tragedy in his later works. Monumental canvases, built on the ratio of a deaf, dark background and large figures of the foreground, illuminated by flashes of pulsating light, have an extraordinary power of emotional impact, involve the viewer in the depicted events. The last years of Caravaggio’s life also include the painting “David with the Head of Goliath” (circa 1610, Borghese Gallery, Rome), where in the guise of Goliath, whose head David holds on his outstretched hand, the facial features of the artist himself are guessed.

The work of Caravaggio had a great influence on contemporary art not only in Italy, but also in Europe as a whole, affecting most of the artists working at that time (see Caravagism).

Lit.: Marangoni M. Il Caravaggio. Firenze, 1922; Znamerovskaya T. P. Michelangelo da Caravaggio. M., 1955; Vsevolozhskaya S. Michelangelo da Caravaggio. M., 1960; Röttgen H. Il Caravaggio: ricerche e interpretazioni. Rome, 1974; Michelangelo da Caravaggio. Documents, memoirs of contemporaries. M., 1975; Hibbard H. Caravaggio. L., 1983; Longhi R. Caravaggio // Longhi R. From Cimabue to Morandi. M., 1984; Caravaggio e il suo tempo. Cat. Napoli, 1985; Marini M. Caravaggio. Rome, 1987; Calvesi M. La realta del Caravaggio. Torino, 1990; Cinotti M. Caravaggio: la vita e l'opera. Bergamo, 1991; Longhi R. Caravaggio. 3. Aufl. Dresden; Basel, 1993; Gash J. Caravaggio. N.Y., 1994; Bonsanti G. Caravaggio. M., 1995; Sviderskaya M. I. Caravaggio. The first modern artist. SPb., 2001; Lambert J. Caravaggio. M., 2004; Caravaggio: Originale und Kopien im Spiegel der Forschung / Hrsg. von J. Harten. Stuttg., 2006.

The famous Italian artist, Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio (Italian: Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio) is known as the most striking reformer of painting at the turn of the 16th - 17th centuries (years of life: 1571 - 1610).

Caravaggio achieves such mastery in using contrasts of light and shadow in his paintings that even a whole generation of "caravagist" artists appears after him. Caravaggio did not recognize the existing rules that with the help of a drawing it is necessary to create idealized images on canvases - he depicted real people in his paintings: street boys, courtesans, old men.

The master did not leave a single sketch to his descendants - he created immediately on canvas.

The artist was born in a suburb of Milan, where, after the plague, he was left without a father early, and his mother moved with her children to the town of Caravaggio. The talented young man had a complex, quarrelsome character. In 1591, he had to flee to Rome, after a tragic showdown with card players, then depicted in the work "Sharp".

By the way, he will get into various troubles more than once throughout his career. Caravaggio was repeatedly under investigation, but the fame of a brawler and brawler did not prevent him from being in demand.

In the capital, they noticed his gift as a painter, giving patronage and basic skills - from the masters of the school. Since there was already a genius named in the history of art, our artist chose a different path - he took the nickname "Caravaggio", copying the name of his native city.

In Rome, he left the world the best canvases during the period of creativity from 1592 to 1606.

On May 29, 1606, a tragic accident occurred in the life of Caravaggio - Ranuccio Tomassoni was killed during a street ball game, and the great master was considered guilty of the murder. In order not to be condemned, the artist went on the run, leaving Rome.

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Then he moved to La Valletta ( Valletta, the capital of Malta), and joined the Order of Malta. However, his wanderings did not stop until the end of his life. As a result, the artist died of malaria at the age of 39, forgotten and rejected, leaving dozens of his masterpieces to the world.

Caravaggio's brushes belong to the first still lifes in Italian painting - "Fruit Basket" - one of the master's most famous still lifes, where fruits are depicted so accurately, as if it were a macro shot.

But he began to depict the fruits a little earlier, in the portraits of teenagers - this is “Young Man with a Basket of Fruit”, “Bacchus”.

The painter repeated some of the most successful stories 2-3 times, commissioned by wealthy nobles - "The Fortuneteller", "The Boy Peeling Fruit" (one of the first masterpieces). He rarely portrayed women - "The Penitent Magdalene", "Judith Killing Holofernes", "Madonna and Child with Saint Anna" and several other works.

Rome at the beginning of the 17th century became a kind of school for European artists. Over time, the master of the chiaroscuro technique opened his own workshop, where he had many talented students, such as Mario de Fiori, Spada, and Bartolomeo Manfredi.

Subsequently, the imitation of Caravaggio's "chiaroscuro" became evident in the paintings of Velázquez and Rubens, Rembrandt and Georges de Latour.

Some of the artist's works have been irretrievably lost, and yet many paintings by Caravaggio remain in Rome, which can be seen for free in churches and for a fee in museums and private collections. Next, we provide a complete list of paintings with addresses for true fans of the great master's work.

For free

Church of San Luigi dei Franchesi

• Address: Piazza di S. Luigi de' Francesi, 00186 Roma

Lovers of Caravaggio's paintings most often go to the holy monastery of San Luigi dei Francesi (San Luigi dei Francesi) - one of the "pearls" of Rome, but from the name it is clear that the church was open to the French community. It was built as a tribute to the French monarch Louis IX (1214-1270), who managed to put an end to the irreconcilable hostility between the church and the secular leadership. And in Byzantium, the ruler was able to agree on the redemption of the sacred relic of the entire Christian world - the Crown of Thorns of the Savior (kept in France).
The church became another “long-term construction”, however, for 70 years, the holy monastery filled with masterpieces was completed by 1589. Here everything is permeated with the spirit of veneration of St. Mary, as befits in Catholicism. However, from the outside, the building looks rather modest, except for the statue, and all the luxury is inside. Dominichino frescoes, colored marble decoration, gilded images.

Here in the Contarelli Chapel (to the left of the main altar) you can see 3 works by the great Merisi da Caravaggio depicting scenes from the life of St. Matthew the Apostle.

The painter replaced the previous master, and after Cavaliero d'Arpino, something had to be completed, and something had to be redone. Those people who hired Caravaggio to work took risks, because the master did not like sketches, worked under a beam of directional light and built a composition differently than many of his contemporaries. But the risk was justified, and today we have the opportunity to contemplate the "Calling of the Apostle Matthew."

“The Calling of the Apostle Matthew” (canvas 322 x 340 cm, painted in 1599) is a well-known story about the calling of a tax collector by Jesus as a disciple, later the publican Levi became an Apostle and the author of the Gospel of Matthew. Two well-dressed young men, crouching near the publican, peer with genuine interest at the image of the Savior, calling with a pointing finger to His chosen one. The influence of predecessors is felt in the work, for example, the characteristic hand of the Lord from Michelangelo's famous canvas.

It is interesting to note that Saint Matthew is the patron saint of tax authorities in almost all countries of the world.

Martyrdom of Saint Matthew

“The Martyrdom of St. Matthew” (canvas 323 x 343 cm, written in 1599-1600) - the canvas depicts the scene of the murder of the evangelist, where Caravaggio’s self-portrait is guessed. Experts say that the face of the artist - in one of the figures of eyewitnesses of the event in the background, is turned back. The realist artist violated religious canons, and replaced pathos with the realism of suffering for the Good News. Canvas for the family chapel of the Contarelli family.

Saint Matthew and the Angel

"Saint Matthew and the Angel" (canvas painted in 1599-1602) - a spiritualized Apostle is depicted, who listens to the voice of the Angel, writing down the Gospel of Matthew. The picture is known for the fact that the customer was shocked by the realism of the image, where the Holy Apostle is depicted as a commoner, contrary to the canons.

Basilica of Saint Augustine

• Address: Piazza di Sant'Agostino, 00186 Roma

The Church of St. Augustine (Sant'Agostino) is another place in Rome where art lovers have the opportunity to see Caravaggio's masterpiece. The building is easy to find on the square with the same name.

Here you can admire the painting by Caravaggio "Madonna di Loreto" and other masterpieces of the Italian masters of the era.
The realism of biblical characters and the special manner of writing Caravaggio made him famous and well paid. He carried out profitable orders for the decoration of churches. In the last decade of his life, the painter painted mainly on subjects from the Gospel, depicting biblical characters.

Madonna di Loreto or Mother of Pilgrims

“Madonna di Loreto or Mother of Pilgrims” (canvas, 1604-1605) - the work is in the first chapel on the left, and this is the most sensational canvas of the master. There were some extravagant antics here. - the altar image of the Mother of God is painted from a courtesan.

Courtesans always posed for everyone, but he was the first to refuse to turn an ordinary model into an idealized image of the Madonna, but left everything as it is.

The dignitaries were outraged by the obscene exposure of their breasts, although this is a common thing for a nursing mother. But it was precisely the violation of the canons that made the reformist canvases of Caravaggio famous. Some contemporaries were also embarrassed by the dirty feet of the pilgrims depicted in the picture, but such is the law of realism.

The biblical scenes embodied on the canvases of Caravaggio were so impressive that they were repeatedly tried to be copied. However, the special manner of writing did not give copyists a chance, and all fakes look dull and pale. Most of the works of the great master "chiaroscuro" are written on a biblical story, therefore they were revered by the religious elite.

Basilica of Santa Maria del Popolo

• Address: Piazza del Popolo
• Working hours: 7:15–12:30, 16:00–19:00

Another place in Rome where two masterpieces by Caravaggio and many other works of art are exhibited. The nondescript Basilica di Santa Maria del Popolo is open in the morning and evening hours. It is easily accessible by metro (red line A) to Flaminio station or on foot in 10 minutes. This object is part of the tourist route, next to the northern gate of Rome (Porta del Popolo), where an inconspicuous building stands on the left, one of the sanctuaries of the Virgin Mary. The modest appearance of the building is deceptive, but as it is written in the Bible: "All the beauty of the King's daughter is inside."

Your goal is the left nave at the altar - paintings by Annibale Carracci and Merisi da Caravaggio.

Conversion of Saul or Paul on the road to Damascus

“The Conversion of Saul” or “Paul on the Road to Damascus” (1601) - the picture illustrates the biblical story about the beginning of the service to God of the Apostle Paul, the former Saul. He is known to the Christian world as the author of several Epistles in the New Testament. Caravaggio depicted this story several times, and this version is the most realistic, better known as a composition with a horse. Pharisee Saul (Saul), who was instructed to imprison the first Christians, on the way to Damascus had a supernatural meeting with Jesus, who spoke to him from heaven. His companions did not understand anything, but froze in a daze, and the miraculous light blinded Paul for 3 days, which subsequently led him to healing, repentance and service to God.

Crucifixion of Saint Peter

"The Crucifixion of St. Peter" (1600-1601) - the canvas depicts the Holy Apostle Peter (formerly Simon), chosen by Christ, who was crucified upside down on the cross. Such an unnatural position in which the Apostle readily accepted death is the desire of the martyr. He believed that he was not worthy to be crucified like Christ. This is what the picture of Caravaggio, the great master of the play of light and shadows, tells about.

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Gallery Borghese

• Address: Piazzale del Museo Borghese, 5, 00197 Roma
• Price: 14 euros - how to buy a ticket without intermediaries

Boy and fruit basket

The Boy and the Fruit Basket (1593-1594) is one of the first works where the image of each fruit is carefully worked out.

Sick Bacchus

"Sick Bacchus" (1592-1593) is a famous self-portrait of the painter. The young artist at that time was seriously ill and had no means of subsistence. I had to fulfill the order without a sitter and paint my greenish pale face from a mirror reflection. One of the best creations of the master was sold for debts from the private collection of his painting teacher in Rome Cavalier d'Arpino, was confiscated and ended up in the collection of Scipione Borghese, the nephew of the Pope. Connoisseurs of the art of painting are delighted not only by the suffering face of a half-naked young man, but also by the masterful depiction of brushes of white-pink and black grapes.

Madonna and Child with Saint Anne

“Madonna and Child with St. Anne” (1606) is one of the most revered works, known as “Madonna with a snake”, where Christ and Mary stepped on the head of an asp.

The prophetess Anna, according to apocryphal texts, is the mother of Mary, the grandmother of Jesus, who blessed the Baby when he was first brought to the temple, in this story she stands at a distance. Work for the altar of the Church of St. Anna.

Saint John the Baptist

"John the Baptist" (1610) - there are several versions of this story, at that time the portraits of many naked young men were signed that way. The painter's style of writing is recognizable by the unsurpassed mastery of depicting naked young men, brightly outlined by light. Although the biblical image is sung by many painters, not all of them reflect the stern image of the Forerunner, who baptized the masses in the Jordan. He lived in the desert, covering his nakedness with animal skins, eating dried locusts and wild honey. To give significance to their work, the painters gave their work the name of John the Baptist. For authenticity, the canvases depicted a staff and skins of rams - the attributes of a wanderer and an ascetic.

Saint Jerome in Meditation

“Saint Jerome in Meditation” (1606) is a canvas with a philosophical meaning, where a human skull prompts an old man to think about the essence of being. It is said that this story inspired many authors of masterpieces of literature and art. Remember "To be or not to be..."?

David with the head of Goliath

“David with the Head of Goliath” (1609-1610) is the most interesting painting that the painter took with him for a long time and improved.

This is one of the later paintings by Caravaggio. The artist was still outside the law and hoped for the forgiveness of the pope. Caravaggio portrays himself as Goliath, whose head David cut off, but David is not shown in the picture as a winner - he looks at the severed head of Goliath almost with sympathy. Caravaggio sent the painting to Rome as a gift to Cardinal Scipione Borghese in order to receive a papal pardon and as a sign of this, the letters “h.o.s.” are on David’s sword, meaning “modesty conquers pride.”

Although it seems to us that the heads are disproportionate, this is not the artist's fault at all.

In the Bible, David is described as a handsome blond youth. When the troops of the Israelites and the Philistines stood on the battlefield, the shepherd David brought lunch to the brothers, but the battle did not start - Israel did not have a worthy fighter. And the giant Goliath (2.5 meters tall) uttered curses and curses against the Israelis. David was outraged by the dismissive tone towards the Israelites and their God, and he struck the proud man in the forehead with a stone from a sling. Then he cut off his head to encourage Israel. Therefore, in the picture, the head of Goliath is so big, and David is very young.

Pinacoteca Vatican

• Address: Viale Vaticano
• Price: 20 euro
• Working hours: from 9:00 to 16:00
• with a licensed guide
• to the Vatican Museums on Fridays

There are also paintings by Caravaggio in the Vatican Pinakothek, which is included in the complex.

Burial of Christ

In the Vatican, numerous pilgrims are presented with an illustration of the biblical story "The Burial of Christ" (canvas 300 x 203 cm, painted in 1602-1603). This composition was subsequently copied by many followers of Caravaggio, it is also known as "The Entombment of Christ." He was taken down from the cross and laid in a cave intended as a burial place.
One of the masterpieces of the great painter, which is kept in the Vatican Pinakothek, was originally painted for the church of Chiesa Nuovo. The composition impresses with the depth of the tragedy of the central scene of the Gospel - about the crucifixion of the Savior and his burial before His miraculous resurrection. Jesus died on the cross for the sins of all mankind, becoming the perfect atoning sacrifice to God. One of the strongest manifestations of tragedy in the realistic canvases of the master.

A special case is known when his commitment to realism reached fanaticism - the image of a dead nature for the painting "The Resurrection of Lazarus".

As is known from the Gospel, Jesus came to resurrect his dead friend, the brother of Martha and Mary, on the 4th day, when the body "already stinks." The sitters refused to pose with the decaying corpse, and Caravaggio forced them to stand in this way with threats until he reached the goal. But this work is exhibited in the regional museum of the city of Messina (Museo Regionale Interdisciplinare di Messina) in Sicily in the city of Messina, and not in Rome.

Palazzo Doria Pamphili

• Address: Via del Corso, 305
• Ticket: 12 euro
• Working hours: from 9:00 to 19:00

Palazzo Doria Pamphilj (Palazzo Doria Pamphilj) is a gray building with a memorable architecture that belonged to the cardinals. Subsequently, the palace passed into private ownership from the Aldobrandini family to Pamphili, who became related to another noble family - Doria. Their descendants devoted a lot of time and effort to replenishing the family collection of masterpieces with new works of art, including 2 paintings by Caravaggio.

Penitent Magdalene

The Penitent Magdalene (1595) is a famous biblical story about the repentance of a harlot caught in adultery, whom Jesus did not allow the Pharisees and lawyers to stone to death. Everyone knows the saying of Jesus “he who is without sin, be the first to throw a stone at her”, which gave this woman the right to life and repentance. Subsequently, she washed Jesus' feet with her tears and smeared them with precious spices on the eve of the crucifixion.

Rest on the flight to Egypt

“Rest on the Flight into Egypt” (1595) depicts the Holy Family during their flight with the Child, which is described in the Gospel of Matthew. A well-known episode from the life of Joseph and Mary, who were forced to hide from King Herod, who ordered the guards to kill all babies under 2 years old. The reason for the anger is the prophecy about the birth of the Messiah and the Savior, which was told by the Magi who saw the Star of Bethlehem.

Palazzo Corsini

Palace (Palazzo) Corsini (Palazzo Corsini) is located in the area next to Villa Farnesina. The gardens, buildings and art collection belonged to a respected family of Florentines who moved to Rome. There is also a painting by Caravaggio.

John the Baptist

"John the Baptist" (1603-1604) is one of the variants of the well-known story about John the Baptist, who lived in the desert and baptized the people in the waters of the Jordan. In those days, it was one of the most popular biblical images, which is why there are so many versions. Even Caravaggio has several paintings with the same name. The image of an ascetic who in the desert ate locusts (edible locusts) and wild honey, covering his nakedness with skins, baptized the masses in the Jordan. Jesus called him the greatest of the prophets. But semi-nude nature was often painted by artists in those days, and when they wanted to profitably sell paintings depicting young men, the image was supplemented with a wanderer's staff and rams' skins.

No one can say with a certain degree of certainty why Caravaggio painted scenes from the Gospel in the last decade.

Whether it was the conversion of a repentant sinner to God, the artist's well-paid orders in churches, or the reading of Holy Scripture is not known. The master of painting signed the works of the last decade with the letter “F”, which meant “brother” (a member of the brotherhood of believers). His canvases are valuable because they are not just skits on a biblical theme, they feel the whole depth of empathy.

Odescalchi Collection - Balbi

• Address: Palazzo Odescalchi Balbi, Piazza dei Santi Apostoli, 80

Conversion of Saul

"The Conversion of Saul" (c. 1600) is one of the variants of a composition that impresses with its realism - a biblical character blinded by divine light from heaven. The Acts of the Holy Apostles tells of a Pharisee, “an immoderate zealot of fatherly traditions” and the Law of Moses, who kept the first disciples of Jesus Christ in fear. Divine light first blinded him, then radically changed his life, and Saul (Saul) became Paul, the greatest of the Apostles.

The plot of Saul's repentance in this version is the first masterpiece rejected by the client for the Cherazi chapel in the church, which was written about above. It is considered a less successful work of the chiaroscuro master, although the inimitable play of light and shadow is very revealing here. A complex composition with a dramatic plot is reflected in every gesture - the blinded Saul covered his eyes with his hands. On the road to Damascus, he was blinded by divine light, which led to repentance, after which he became known as the Apostle Paul, who wrote a significant part of the New Testament.

Pinacoteca of the Capitoline Museums

Fortune Teller or Fortune teller

"Fortune Teller" or "Fortuneteller" (canvas 99 x 131 cm, 1594-1595). The artist wrote the plot several times under the order for a wealthy clientele. There are also several copies of the composition, which was repeatedly repeated by his followers. However, his painting is with stunning light and shadow effects.

inimitable, making it easy to distinguish fakes from the original.

The young artist, who arrived in Rome, experimented a lot, looking for characteristic types for his canvases.

The talented painter rejected the generally accepted methods of Mannerist painting and depicted in his paintings real, living people in the same setting. He rejected the generally accepted manner of writing the Baroque era, he was impressed by Lombard realism.

Contemporaries testified to the real story of Caravaggio's meeting with a gypsy, who predicted a difficult fate for him. He gave her money and invited her into the house as a model for his next masterpiece, The Fortuneteller.
Many subjects on his canvases are not related to religious themes, and these genre scenes today make it possible to understand what Italians looked like in those days. His contemporaries on canvases, their way of life, clothes, utensils and musical instruments, are well known today from the most popular paintings, including The Fortune Teller.

Barberini Palace

Tourists can find Palazzo Barberini on Via delle Quattro Fontane 13, not far from the famous fountain. The magnificent Baroque Palace is one of the most visited places, where another outstanding creation of Caravaggio is exhibited.

Judith killing Holofernes

"Judith Killing Holofernes" (1599) is a picturesque illustration of a well-known legend. Everything on the canvas is unusual and breaks the classic stereotypes of painting of those times. Particularly interesting is the realistic grimace of disgust of the Jewish widow during the beheading of the Babylonian commander.

Narcissus

“Narcissus” or “Young Man Looking at Himself in the Reflection” (1599) - the painting masterfully depicts a young man staring intently at his reflection in the water. The plot of the picture is very famous and was taken from Ovid's Metamorphoses: a beautiful young man whom the nymph fell in love with rejected her love, for which he was punished by the gods

Unfortunately, some of the paintings by Caravaggio have been stolen or lost, according to some there are copies, there are paintings attributed to Caravaggio, but their authorship is disputed. There are other works, but they adorn the collections of Europe and America. Most of the paintings are in Rome, where we are happy to invite you for inspiration.

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