Category: Metropolitan Museum of Art-New York
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The Vocation of Saint Aloysius Gonzaga
The Vocation of Saint Aloysius Gonzaga (c.1650) Guercino. This beautiful painting captures young Aloysius Gonzaga turned away from wealth and privilege to follow his calling to serve God. Guercino’s use of light and emotion brings to life the saint’s purity and devotion. You can see the angel crowning Aloysius with a wreath crown while his…
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Death of Cleopatra
Death of Cleopatra (c.1645) Guido Cagnacci. This theatrical and erotic depiction of Cleopatra’s suicide is on brand for the Northern Italian painter. It is easy to envision this painting taking place on a stage where the heroine is so distraught from the defeat of Mark Antony that she feels her only course of action is…
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Immaculate Conception
“Immaculate Conception” (1627) Guido Reni. The gallery label tells us that the Spanish Ambassador in Rome commissioned Reni to paint this for the Infanta of Spain (Infanta refers to the daughter of the king). Eventually the painting was hung in the cathedral of Seville and was extremely influential to Spanish painters, especially Murillo. We highlighted…
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The Coronation of the Virgin
The Coronation of the Virgin (c.1595) Annibale Carracci. In this painting, the Virgin is depicted being crowned by the Holy Trinity. The Holy Spirit appears above her in the form of a dove, while God the Father and Christ the Son flank her on either side. Carracci’s composition reveals his deep admiration for Renaissance art:…
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Saint John the Baptist Bearing Witness
Saint John the Baptist Bearing Witness (c.1600) Annibale Caracci. Here we see John the Baptist wearing his usual animal skin clothing and carrying a staff with the cross on top. The saint has turned toward us to direct our attention to a figure in the distance. At first glance, based on the clothing, pose and…
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Two Children Teasing a Cat
Two Children Teasing a Cat (c.1587) Annibale Caracci. In this lively genre scene, Annibale Carracci captures a mischievous moment as two children play with a clearly irritated cat. A crayfish clamps onto the cat’s ear, adding to its distress, and it seems only a matter of time before the girl’s hand is met with claws.…
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Merry Company
Merry Company (c.1629) Judith Leyster. While we’re currently focusing on Baroque art from Italy, Spain, and France, I always make a point to highlight the Dutch Golden Age painter Judith Leyster whenever I come across her work. She was one of the few well-known female painters of the Baroque period, and only a few paintings…
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Christ on the Cross
Christ on the Cross (c.1615) by Cecco del Caravaggio (Francesco Buoneri) We recently visited the Met in New York City for the first time, where this powerful piece is on display. It’s housed in a glass case that allows you to view both sides, though I wasn’t able to capture a good photo due to…
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Caravaggio Nativity Scenes
During Christmas week, we take a look at several of Caravaggio’s depictions of the Holy Family. Note: The last slide is not universally accepted as autograph by all Caravaggio scholars. The Adoration of the Shepherds (1609) was originally displayed in the Messina church of Santa Maria della Concezione dei Padri Cappuccini (Our Lady of the…