{"id":3625,"date":"2023-06-21T11:20:56","date_gmt":"2023-06-21T10:20:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/walks.friday.ie\/?p=3625"},"modified":"2024-11-26T06:11:27","modified_gmt":"2024-11-26T06:11:27","slug":"caravaggio-michelangelo-merisi-paintings-italy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/art-culture\/caravaggio-michelangelo-merisi-paintings-italy","title":{"rendered":"All About Caravaggio: The Art of an Infamous Italian Scoundrel"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>As well as a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/art-culture\/caravaggio-merisi-italy\">scofflaw and murderer<\/a>, 17th-century Italian painter Caravaggio was one of the most thrilling, and ground-breaking, artists in Italy.\u00a0And his paintings\u2014which changed Italian art history forever\u2014tell the fascinating stories, and hint at the personal torment, behind the artist.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_14335\" style=\"width: 1291px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-14335\" class=\"wp-image-14335 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/David-with-the-Head-of-Goliath-Caravaggio.jpg\" alt=\"art work depicting man holding decapitated head\" width=\"1281\" height=\"1920\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/David-with-the-Head-of-Goliath-Caravaggio.jpg 1281w, https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/David-with-the-Head-of-Goliath-Caravaggio-768x1151.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/David-with-the-Head-of-Goliath-Caravaggio-1025x1536.jpg 1025w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1281px) 100vw, 1281px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-14335\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Like a lot of artists of his time, Caravaggio led a long and very tumultuous life.<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_80 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/art-culture\/caravaggio-michelangelo-merisi-paintings-italy\/#The_origin_story\" >The origin story<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/art-culture\/caravaggio-michelangelo-merisi-paintings-italy\/#Michelangelo_Merisi\" >Michelangelo Merisi<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/art-culture\/caravaggio-michelangelo-merisi-paintings-italy\/#From_Milan_to_Rome\" >From Milan to Rome<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/art-culture\/caravaggio-michelangelo-merisi-paintings-italy\/#Sick_Bacchus_a_style_of_his_own\" >Sick Bacchus: a style of his own<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/art-culture\/caravaggio-michelangelo-merisi-paintings-italy\/#Caravaggio_Baroque_bad_boy\" >Caravaggio, Baroque bad boy<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/art-culture\/caravaggio-michelangelo-merisi-paintings-italy\/#The_Fortune_Teller\" >The Fortune Teller<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/art-culture\/caravaggio-michelangelo-merisi-paintings-italy\/#Cardinal_del_Monte_patron\" >Cardinal del Monte, patron<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/art-culture\/caravaggio-michelangelo-merisi-paintings-italy\/#Bacchus_take_two\" >Bacchus, take two<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/art-culture\/caravaggio-michelangelo-merisi-paintings-italy\/#Violence_scandal_and_personal_demons\" >Violence, scandal, and personal demons<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/art-culture\/caravaggio-michelangelo-merisi-paintings-italy\/#Judith_Beheading_Holofernes\" >Judith Beheading Holofernes<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-11\" href=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/art-culture\/caravaggio-michelangelo-merisi-paintings-italy\/#Inspiration_of_Saint_Matthew\" >Inspiration of Saint Matthew<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-12\" href=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/art-culture\/caravaggio-michelangelo-merisi-paintings-italy\/#Madonna_and_Child_with_Saint_Anne\" >Madonna and Child with Saint Anne<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-13\" href=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/art-culture\/caravaggio-michelangelo-merisi-paintings-italy\/#Outlawed_and_on_the_run\" >Outlawed and on the run<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_origin_story\"><\/span>The origin story<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>So here are a few of our <em>favorite\u00a0<\/em>Caravaggio paintings in Italy. Because this Baroque bad boy has such a fascinating life story, we&#8217;ve organized our list according to when he did them&#8230; and what his motivations might have been.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Michelangelo_Merisi\"><\/span>Michelangelo Merisi<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Born in 1571, Caravaggio grew up in Caravaggio, Italy, just outside of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/?s=milan&amp;post_type=posts\">Milan<\/a>. That&#8217;s not a coincidence: His real name actually was <a href=\"https:\/\/www.caravaggio-foundation.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Michelangelo Merisi<\/a>, but partly to distinguish him from that\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/art-culture\/interesting-facts-about-michelangelo\"><em>other\u00a0<\/em>famed Michelangelo<\/a>, the artist went by the name of his hometown. (That&#8217;s not unusual, by the way: Cortona-born artist Pietro da Cortona, for example, was really named\u00a0Pietro Berrettini).<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_22610\" style=\"width: 1210px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-22610\" class=\" wp-image-22610 size-full\" title=\"Boy with a Basket of Fruit by Caravaggio\" src=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/Boy_with_a_Basket_of_Fruit-Caravaggio_1593.jpg\" alt=\"painting of a boy holding a basket of fruit\" width=\"1200\" height=\"1254\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/Boy_with_a_Basket_of_Fruit-Caravaggio_1593.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/Boy_with_a_Basket_of_Fruit-Caravaggio_1593-768x803.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-22610\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Caravaggio&#8217;s Boy with a Basket of Fruit, one of his first paintings<\/p><\/div>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"From_Milan_to_Rome\"><\/span>From Milan to Rome<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>From a young age, Caravaggio was a trouble-maker. So much so, in fact, that at 21 years old, he fled Milan\u2014already having gotten into numerous brawls and even having wounded a police officer. He came to Rome, where he got a job painting in the workshop of Giuseppe Cesari (known as the Cavalier d&#8217;Arpino), mostly focusing on adding flowers and fruit to the paintings done by the pope&#8217;s favorite artist.<\/p>\n<p>But Caravaggio did his own paintings, as well. And even though he was still young\u2014only in his early 20s!\u2014the ways in which Caravaggio would change art history already were clear.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Sick_Bacchus_a_style_of_his_own\"><\/span>Sick Bacchus: a style of his own<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Just take his self-portrait as the <em>Sick Bacchus<\/em>, located in Rome&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/rome-tours\/villa-borghese-gallery-tour\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Borghese Gallery<\/a>. Painted a couple of years after Caravaggio came to Rome, it shows the skills he&#8217;d picked up in d&#8217;Arpino&#8217;s workshop, particularly with the attention to detail and near-photographic realism of the fruit and leaves. (Around the same time, he painted <em>Boy with a Basket of Fruit<\/em>, at top\u2014also in\u00a0Rome&#8217;s Borghese Gallery\u2014which is even more stunning in its depiction of vegetation and fruit).<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_22611\" style=\"width: 1210px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-22611\" class=\"wp-image-22611 size-full\" title=\"Sick Bacchus by Caravaggio, in Italy's Borghese Gallery\" src=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/Caravaggios-Sick-Bacchus.jpg\" alt=\"painting of boy holding grapes in his hand\" width=\"1200\" height=\"1586\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/Caravaggios-Sick-Bacchus.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/Caravaggios-Sick-Bacchus-768x1015.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/Caravaggios-Sick-Bacchus-1162x1536.jpg 1162w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-22611\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Caravaggio&#8217;s &#8220;Sick Bacchus,&#8221; in the Galleria Borghese<\/p><\/div>\n<p>But the <em>Sick Bacchus<\/em>\u00a0shows something else, too: that life was already rough for Caravaggio. We know that, early in his Rome stay, Caravaggio fell extremely ill\u2014some believe of malaria\u2014and spent six months in the hospital. It&#8217;s thought that he completed this painting around that time period, which explains the figure&#8217;s greenish skin and sickly expression. More interestingly still, Bacchus is, of course, the god of wine and partying. But Bacchus is usually shown rosy-cheeked and reveling. Not here. In a way, this painting could be said to be a depiction of what all that revelry feels like the &#8220;morning after.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>And that&#8217;s something Caravaggio knew a lot about\u2014although his biggest problems with drinking and brawling were yet to come.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Caravaggio_Baroque_bad_boy\"><\/span>Caravaggio, Baroque bad boy<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>In 1594, Caravaggio left d&#8217;Arpino&#8217;s studio and struck out on his own. He met other artists in Rome that would prove incredibly influential to his career\u2014and, less fortunately, to his personal life. One, the architect Onorio Longhi, helped Caravaggio get sucked into Rome&#8217;s underbelly of street brawls and fights.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Fortune_Teller\"><\/span>The Fortune Teller<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>This is when Caravaggio painted <em>The Fortune Teller<\/em>, today in Rome&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.museicapitolini.org\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Capitoline Museums<\/a>,\u00a0which, in typical Baroque style, <a href=\"https:\/\/devourtours.com\/blog\/rome-capitoline-museums\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">has much more to it than meets the eye<\/a>.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_1532\" style=\"width: 1085px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1532\" class=\"wp-image-1532 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/11fortu.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1075\" height=\"808\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/11fortu.jpg 1075w, https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/11fortu-768x577.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1075px) 100vw, 1075px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-1532\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Fortune Teller can be found in Rome&#8217;s Musei Capitolini.<\/p><\/div>\n<p>At first glance, it simply looks like a girl telling a wealthy boy&#8217;s fortune. Look closer and you see that, while she&#8217;s &#8220;reading his palm,&#8221; she&#8217;s also&#8230; removing his ring. This theme of foppish youths falling victim to street-wise opportunists is one that Caravaggio would return to in other paintings, too. And it&#8217;s not surprising that the street-smart artist would find it a theme that he liked. At this point, in fact, Caravaggio was so poor he sold the painting for only eight\u00a0<em>scudi,\u00a0<\/em>a complete pittance.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Cardinal_del_Monte_patron\"><\/span>Cardinal del Monte, patron<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>The good news? The painting wound up in the home of a wealthy banker who not only wound up being a patron for Caravaggio, but who introduced him to his friend, Cardinal Francesco Maria del Monte. In 1595, del Monte took Caravaggio into his household.<\/p>\n<p>Del Monte wound up commissioning more than 40 paintings from the young artist\u2014including the Bacchus, today in Florence&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/florence-tours\/florence-tours-full-day\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Uffizi Gallery<\/a>.\u00a0This was a real chance for Caravaggio to show off his skills; there&#8217;s that gorgeously-depicted, realistic fruit and foliage and the extreme contrast of light and dark.<\/p>\n<p>And, of course, there&#8217;s the attractive young man (who is, by the way, Caravaggio&#8217;s close friend and companion, the teenager Mario Minniti\u2014who happens to be the same model in <em>The Fortune Teller<\/em> and the <em>Boy with the Basket of Fruit<\/em>). This isn&#8217;t unusual; many of the paintings that Cardinal del Monte commissioned from Caravaggio depicted somewhat effeminate, sensual-looking men. The Cardinal was known for throwing dinner parties complete with young men dressed as women, so&#8230; it&#8217;s not all that surprising.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Bacchus_take_two\"><\/span>Bacchus, take two<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Although this Bacchus seems healthier than the earlier one, it&#8217;s still humorous &#8211; the youth has flushed cheeks and a sleepy expression. And even though he&#8217;s meant to represent a Greek god, he&#8217;s wearing contemporary clothing&#8230; not to mention has dirty fingernails and lies on a dingy bedsheet. A romanticization of Greek myth this is not!<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_22612\" style=\"width: 1210px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-22612\" class=\" wp-image-22612 size-full\" title=\"Bacchus by Caravaggio\" src=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/Baco_por_Caravaggio.jpg\" alt=\"painting of boy with garland in his hair\" width=\"1200\" height=\"1367\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/Baco_por_Caravaggio.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/Baco_por_Caravaggio-768x875.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-22612\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Caravaggio&#8217;s &#8220;Bacchus,&#8221; today in Florence&#8217;s Uffizi Gallery<\/p><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Violence_scandal_and_personal_demons\"><\/span>Violence, scandal, and personal demons<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Despite his increasing success, Caravaggio&#8217;s personal life remained tormented. According to one of his biographers: &#8221;after a fortnight&#8217;s work he will swagger about for a month or two with his sword at his side and with a servant following him, from one ball-court to the next, ever ready to engage in a fight or argument, with the result that it is most awkward to get along with him.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>It&#8217;s important to note that the sword was illegal; as with guns today, citizens had to have licence to bear arms. Caravaggio was arrested repeatedly for, among other things, slashing the cloak of an adversary, throwing a plate of artichokes at a waiter, scarring a guard, and abusing the police.<\/p>\n<p>Caravaggio&#8217;s technique was as spontaneous as his temper. He was constantly getting into trouble for his drinking and his temper, and arrested in Rome numerous times. His offences included\u2014among others\u2014carrying a sword without a license, throwing a plate of artichokes in a waiter&#8217;s face, abusing the police, and scarring a guard. His worst offence, however, was yet to come.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Judith_Beheading_Holofernes\"><\/span>Judith Beheading Holofernes<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>It was in this turbulent time period that Caravaggio painted one of his most arresting works: <em>Judith Beheading Holofernes<\/em>,\u00a0today in the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.barberinicorsini.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Barberini Gallery<\/a>\u00a0in\u00a0Rome.<\/p>\n<p>The high emotions and violence in the painting are quintessential Caravaggio. And this was a guy who knew violence. His own brawls aside, he&#8217;d also recently been to see the execution of Beatrice Cenci, a 22-year-old Roman noblewoman accused of murdering her own father, who was beheaded publicly by sword. Another telling part of the painting; Judith is probably modeled on a Roman courtesan who posed for some of Caravaggio&#8217;s other paintings, as well. It was hardly typical\u2014or proper\u2014for artists at the time to use real-life models, especially prostitutes, for their depictions of saints and Biblical figures. But, true to form, Caravaggio hardly cared.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_22613\" style=\"width: 1210px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-22613\" class=\" wp-image-22613 size-full\" title=\"Caravaggio's Judith Beheading Holofernes\" src=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/Judith_Beheading_Holofernes-Caravaggio_c.1598-9.jpg\" alt=\"painting of woman beheading a man\" width=\"1200\" height=\"890\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/Judith_Beheading_Holofernes-Caravaggio_c.1598-9.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/Judith_Beheading_Holofernes-Caravaggio_c.1598-9-768x570.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-22613\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Judith Beheading Holofernes, in Rome&#8217;s Barberini Gallery.<\/p><\/div>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Inspiration_of_Saint_Matthew\"><\/span>Inspiration of Saint Matthew<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>But Caravaggio&#8217;s biggest career break was yet to come. In 1599, the Cardinal helped him procure a commission at the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/saintlouis-rome.net\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Church of San Luigi dei Francesi<\/a> in Rome. Caravaggio was to decorate the Contarelli Chapel with three images of Saint Matthew.<\/p>\n<p>In typical Caravaggio style, these paintings weren&#8217;t just stunning\u2014they were ground-breaking&#8230; and <em>scandalous<\/em>! One, in fact, actually was rejected by the church and had to be redone. That&#8217;s the\u00a0<em>Inspiration of Saint Matthew.<\/em> The original was too controversial largely because the sensuous, adolescent angel looked like it was snuggling Saint Matthew\u2014in a near-erotic fashion\u2014and because the saint&#8217;s bare feet and crossed legs made him look common, pretty scandalous in a time when saints were depicted as noble and perfect. Although Caravaggio puts more-proper space between saint and angel here, he hardly steers away from controversy altogether: the saint&#8217;s feet are not only still bare, but dirty.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_22616\" style=\"width: 1203px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-22616\" class=\" wp-image-22616 size-full\" title=\"Inspiration of Saint Matthew by Caravaggio\" src=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/The_Inspiration_of_Saint_Matthew_by_Caravaggio.jpg\" alt=\"painting of man and angel\" width=\"1193\" height=\"1920\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/The_Inspiration_of_Saint_Matthew_by_Caravaggio.jpg 1193w, https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/The_Inspiration_of_Saint_Matthew_by_Caravaggio-768x1236.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/The_Inspiration_of_Saint_Matthew_by_Caravaggio-954x1536.jpg 954w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1193px) 100vw, 1193px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-22616\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Caravaggio&#8217;s &#8220;Inspiration of Saint Matthew&#8221;<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Controversies aside, these canvases launched Caravaggio into the limelight. Back then,\u00a0<em>nobody\u00a0<\/em>was painting with anywhere near his sense of realism and drama.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Madonna_and_Child_with_Saint_Anne\"><\/span>Madonna and Child with Saint Anne<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Other commissions flooded in. One of our favorites from this time period is the <em>Madonna and Child with Saint Anne<\/em>, currently in the\u00a0Borghese Gallery\u00a0in\u00a0Rome. Again, Caravaggio shows his scandalous side with this painting\u2014which was rejected by its commissioners, who wanted it for a chapel in Saint Peter&#8217;s Basilica. Saint Anne, for example, looks like a beggar woman, and anything but saintly. The Madonna is leaning over Christ, her breasts pushed up, and was speculated to have been modeled on a Rome prostitute. \u00a0Both are barefoot. And Christ himself is fully nude\u2014fine when he&#8217;s a babe in arms, less so as an upright, standing child!<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_22615\" style=\"width: 1210px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-22615\" class=\" wp-image-22615 size-full\" title=\"Caravaggio's Madonna and Child with Saint Anne\" src=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/CaravaggioSerpent.jpg\" alt=\"painting of woman holding a young child\" width=\"1200\" height=\"1589\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/CaravaggioSerpent.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/CaravaggioSerpent-768x1017.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/CaravaggioSerpent-1160x1536.jpg 1160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-22615\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Caravaggio&#8217;s Madonna and Child with Saint Anne in the Borghese Gallery<\/p><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Outlawed_and_on_the_run\"><\/span>Outlawed and on the run<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Even though everyone in Rome knew Caravaggio&#8217;s name by now, he still couldn&#8217;t manage his personal demons. On May 29, 1606, he got into a brawl over a tennis match and killed a young man. He&#8217;d been protected by his well-placed patrons before\u2014but this was more than even a cardinal could handle. Outlawed, Caravaggio was forced to flee Rome.<\/p>\n<p>The most desperate part of his life, and possibly the most fascinating in terms of his artistic output, was only just beginning.<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>If you find the stories behind the art as fascinating as we do, join our fascinating\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/walksofitaly.com\/rome-tours\/villa-borghese-gallery-tour\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Borghese Gallery Tour!\u00a0<\/a>This experience \u2013 led by an expert guide \u2013 includes a look at many of Caravaggio\u2019s most important paintings.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>As well as a scofflaw and murderer, 17th-century Italian painter Caravaggio was one of the most thrilling, and ground-breaking, artists in Italy.\u00a0And his paintings\u2014which changed Italian art history forever\u2014tell the fascinating stories, and hint at the personal torment, behind the artist. The origin story So here are a few of our favorite\u00a0Caravaggio paintings in Italy. [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":80,"featured_media":22465,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[68,17],"ppma_author":[194],"class_list":["post-3625","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-art-culture","tag-art","tag-milan"],"authors":[{"term_id":194,"user_id":80,"is_guest":0,"slug":"martinav","display_name":"Martina V.","avatar_url":{"url":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/Martina-Vitale.png","url2x":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/Martina-Vitale.png"},"user_url":"","last_name":"V.","first_name":"Martina","job_title":"","description":"Martina is an art historian and travel writer from Rome, Italy. Martina currently resides in the eternal city and draws inspiration from its iconic landmarks and timeless beauty. When she's not immersed in the vibrant artistic heritage of Italy, Martina can be found sipping espresso in charming cafes, and scoping out the city\u2019s best tiramisu\u2014her favorite dessert!"}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3625"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/80"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3625"}],"version-history":[{"count":21,"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3625\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":22619,"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3625\/revisions\/22619"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/22465"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3625"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3625"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3625"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ppma_author?post=3625"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}