The Art of Carravagio Flashcards
San Luigi Dei Francesi
Date: 1518 - 1589
Architect: Giacomo della Porta
Location: Rome
- Affiliation with France – cardinals and priests of Frech decent
- Important French figures represented in facade
- Home to the Caravaggio paints depicting the life of St. Mattew
- Caravaggio’s first big commission
S. Agostino
Date: 1296 - 1483
Architect: Giacomo di Pietrasanta and Sebastiano Fiorentino
Location: Rome
- Church went through a series of remodels and redesigns (explaining the range of dates)
- Renaissance facade
- Most of art dedicated to the Virgin Mary and the birth of Crist – famous place of pilgramage for new mothers
- Fresco by Raphael
- Home of Caravaggio’s Madonna of Loreto
- Associated with Biblioteca Angelica
Galleria Doria Pamphili
Date: Collection began 16th cent.
Architect: Francisco Nicoletti
Location: Rome
- Still a private collection and residence
- Was the home of Cardinal candidate Camillo Pamphili who remounced cardnalship in order to marry Olimpia Borgese and it was she who bought the palazzo
- Very large collection including Caravaggio’s ‘Rest During the Flight to Egypt’
The Calling of St. Matthew
Date: 1599 - 1603 (-1600)
Artist: Caravaggio
Location: Contarelli Chapel, San Luigi dei Francesi
- First in a series of painting about the sainthood of Mattew.
- Located in San Luigi dei Francesi, one of the French churches of Rome
- First big commission of Caravaggio - Medici patron Cardinal del Monte
- Highly dramatic, high contrast, expressive and emotional
- Use of light in the painting aligned with source of light in the chapel
- Hung with “martyrdom of st Matthew” and “calling fo st matthew”
- Subject: Jesus calling Matthew to follow him, to abandon his life of riches, Matthew looking surprised as most others at table do not see what is happening,
The Martyrdom of St. Matthew
Date: 1599 - 1603 (-1600)
Artist: Caravaggio
Location: San Luigi dei Francesi, Rome (Contarelli chapel)
- Second painting in the series of three (hung wiht “calling of st. matthew” and “inspiration of st matthew”
- First to be installed in teh chapel
- Painted over other composition (shows him workign through the idea)
- Shows the saint being killed by a soldier, with surrounding people showing fear and pitty
- Common theme of some figures being involved in action in composition, and others sitting by oblivious.
- child looks to be fleeing scene (first thing you see as you approach the chapel)
The Inspirtation of St. Matthew
Date: 1599 - 1603 (1602)
Artist: Caravaggio
Location: San Luigi dei Francesi, Rome
- Third in the series of three painting
- High contrast - light of figures against dark of background, typical of his style
- Initial version rejected because considered controvercial by the church, redesigned and repainted (unacceptable to show im kneeling)
- It is one of the three Caravaggio canvases hanging in the chapel; hanging between the larger canvases of “martyrdom of St. Matthew” and “Calling of St. Matthew”
Madonna of Loreto
Date: 1604 - 1606
Artist: Caravaggio
Location: S. Agostino, Rome
- Depicts image of Virgin and child with two pilgrim – a more life-like, less idealed image of the virgin
- Caravaggio was a controversial artist - work often associated or related to prostitutes
- Controversial in realistic representation of pilgrims (dirty feet now respectful to show in church so it was rejected)
- Large baby held in unrealistic manner. Shows in consistancies that are in some of his paintings, but does not detract from overall composition.
Rest During the Flight into Egypt
Date: 1597
Artist: Caravaggio
Location: Galleria Doria Pamphili
- Well known biblical story represented in a different way
- Often shown in the act of moving or traveling while this one focuses on a pause
- the use of a landscape as a background is different than many other works by Caravaggio where ther subjects are only people against a dark background
- Caravaggio shows Mary asleep with the infant Jesus, while Joseph holds a manuscript for an angel who is playing a hymn to Mary on the violin.
Boy with a Basket of Fruit
Date: 1593
Artist: Caravaggio
Location: Galleria Borghese
- Done when he was newley arrived in rome
- Predates his more complex works from the same period
- Shows artists ability to depict everything from the skin of the boy to the skin of the peach to the folds of the robe and basket weave
- His representation is both realistic and idealized
