Michelangelo Merisi Da Caravaggio
is one of the great masters in history. His unique methods started a new era for painting. To this day, his pieces are regarded as part of the greatest works of art of all time. Caravaggio lived a troubled life and had a controversial career. He quickly showed incredible potential and gained popularity in various Italian cities for his style. Unfortunately, many of the subjects in his paintings and his behavior would cause controversy and he perished mysteriously. Caravaggio’s unique “Chiaroscuro” style consists of creating dramatic compositions where you push the intensity of both the dark tones and light tones to a maximum. The scenery and colors are then enhanced by the effects created and it generated incredibly compelling works of art.
Caravaggio approached his paintings with a very peculiar manner. He would not sketch but paint directly onto the canvas. Starting with the dark tones, he would then build up the light by directly painting with led white paint. Finally, he would add the colors on top of these layers to create the incredible depth.
THE CALLING OF ST MATHEW
This painting depicts the moment when Jesus calls upon Matthew to follow him. Most of Caravaggio’s paintings were commissions from the clergy. This masterpiece presents a very complex scenery with various characters and one intense light source coming from the window. The light also being guided by Jesus’s finger. St. Matthew pointing at himself truly highlights him in the painting. By centering the figure and adding the hand in motion, Caravaggio directs our view towards the desired character. The bright clothes help keep our attention on these characters as well.
This painting presents a rare occasion where Jesus is not presented as the main character. Jesus is mostly in the shadows but we can be clearly defined by the halo on top of his head. He gently points at St. Matthew with the hand being almost identical to the one painted in the Sistine chapel by Michelangelo.
Caravaggio was a genius painter that often makes us feel like we are part of the painting. His treatment of light, emotion, scenery and color truly sets him apart. His paintings are timeless and are generous in content. There is so much to learn from this master. One can analyze Caravaggio to learn more about technique but Caravaggio teaches us a lot about visual poetry and story telling as well.
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