Caravaggio and contemporary art

Caravaggio´s "Young sick Bacchus"(1593), now in Galleria Borghese, Rome, is also a self portrait

Caravaggio (Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio, 1571 – 1610) one of the greatest painters of all times, was also one of the first in a long line of artists, who have not been able to handle their fame in private life:

The artist’s life was short, and his unruly behavior attracted as much attention as his revolutionary works. His numerous misdemeanors, documented in police records, culminated with his murder of an opponent during a game of pallacorda, or tennis, and led to his flight from Rome in 1606. By the time of his death in 1610, his style of painting was already the most imitated and influential in Europe.

Read the entire article here

Very soon after his death Caravaggio was forgotten, and it was only in the 20th century when his importance to Western art was rediscovered. Caravaggio´s influence on such artists as Rubens, Bernini, Rembrandt and Velasquez  is wellknown.

However, often one has a feeling that art historians, curators and critics - especially those with an interest in contemporary art - have a tendency to connect contemporary artists to the Caravaggio legacy in a somewhat carefree way. It is e.g. not easy to understand what somebody like Damien Hirst has in common with the great Italian painter.

My suggestion: Forget Hirst et consortes and just enjoy Caravaggio!

"The Taking of Christ" - detail - (1602), National Gallery of Ireland, Dublin

"The Cardsharps" (about 1594), now in the Kimbell Art Museum, Fort Worth

"Bacchus" - detail - (1595), Uffizi Gallery, Florence



"The Ecstasy of Saint Francis"  (c. 1595), Wadsworth Atheneum in Hartford, Connecticut

"The Fortune Teller" (1594) Musei Capitolini, Rome

"Caravaggio - The Complete Works" is an excellent site to visit if you want to learn more about Caravaggio´s works.