Tag: Caravaggio
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When Mary Started Rising: The Assumption in Baroque Art
Today the Catholic Church celebrates the Assumption of the Virgin Mary. One of the fascinating things about the Assumption of the Virgin Mary is that it became one of the most important subjects in Catholic art despite not being described in the Bible. The New Testament never recounts Mary’s final moments on earth or her…
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St. John the Baptist with a Ram
St. John the Baptist (1602) Caravaggio. In art, there have been many “interesting” depictions of St.JtB, but this is one of the most thought provoking. Why is he reclined like that? Where are is his clothes? Why is it a ram and not a lamb? Where are the other symbols we are used to seeing…
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Caravaggio in America
In the US, we are lucky to have 6 museums host undisputed Caravaggio masterpieces that are normally on display. These pieces do tend to travel frequently, with the exception of the Crucifixion of St. Andrew in Cleveland. It is important that you check our Caravaggio database as well as the museum website before planning to…
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St. Catherine of Alexandria
St. Catherine of Alexandria (1597), Caravaggio.November 25th is the feast of St. Catherine of Alexandria—an excellent occasion to share this Caravaggio masterpiece. He painted it at the request of Cardinal Del Monte, whose mother was named Catherine. My own grandmother was also a Catherine (with a “C”), and I like to think she would have…
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The Musicians
The Musicians (c.1597) Caravaggio. On the surface, we seem to be interrupting three musicians in a cramped room, warming up before a performance. Beside them, a young Cupid divides a bunch of grapes, perhaps to share as a pre-concert snack. Painted for Cardinal Del Monte, a devoted patron and lover of the arts, the scene…
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The Holy Family with the Infant St. John the Baptist
The Holy Family with the Infant St. John the Baptist (c.1600) Caravaggio. The attribution to Caravaggio is not universally agreed upon by Caravaggio scholars. However, The Met attributes it to Caravaggio and I’m not in a position to argue. It is disappointing that there is very little written about the piece on the Met’s website…
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The Galleria Nazionale d’Arte Antica at Palazzo Barberini
Overview The Galleria Nazionale d’Arte Antica at Palazzo Barberini in Rome is a treasure trove of art from the 13th to the 18th centuries. Housed in a stunning Baroque palace designed by Carlo Maderno, Gian Lorenzo Bernini, and Francesco Borromini, the gallery showcases masterpieces by artists like Caravaggio, Raphael, and Titian. Originally the Barberini family’s…
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The Crucifixion of St. Andrew
Caravaggio’s “The Crucifixion of St. Andrew” stands out prominently among the works in the room at the Cleveland Museum of Art. Acquired by the museum in 1976, the painting had only recently been attributed to Caravaggio. After disappearing from historical records in 1653, it resurfaced centuries later in a convent in Spain and was published…
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Martha and Mary
In keeping with the theme of Martha and Mary of Bethany, we take another look on Caravaggio’s amazing Martha and Mary Magdalene (1598). This piece is typically interpreted as the moment that Mary Magdalene turns away from her life of sin as a prostitute and embraces God as her sister Martha pleads with her. Today,…