Historic background

• 1517 Luther nailed his 95 Theses on the 31st of October 1517, sparking the Reformation

• It was the custom at Wittenberg university to advertise a disputation by posting theses on the door

• Martin Luther wrote to Archbishop of Mainz, protesting against the sale of indulgences.

• ” Luther objected to the saying ”As soon as the coin in the coffer rings, the soul from purgatory [also attested as 'into heaven'] springs.“

The Counter Reformation

• Concilio di Trento, under pope Paolo III Farnese, ends under pope Pio IV De Medici

• The Counter Reformation ask the artists who depict holy subjects to follow some rules

• Clearness of the subject• Ortodoxy• Dignity,propriety of the posture and attitude • Ability to express the feeling and involve the believers

• He moved to Rome in 1592 at first to make his living he painted in the atelier of Cavaliere D’ Arpino who exploited him.

• Then after he met bishop Del Monte he could paint on his own • He first painted a lot of “genre scenes” , everyday life and

common people with naturalistic setting.• Only in the late years of the XVII century he had a public

commission the Contarelli Chapel • All the churches in that period got renewed to prepare for the

great Jubilee • From now on his paintings will depict mostly holy subjects•

Boy with a basket of fruit 1593Roma galleria Borghese

Young man is a self-portait of Caravaggio

"The Fortune Teller" is a painting that Caravaggio executed twice. The La buona ventura 1596-97 Parigi Museo del Louvre

riprende la prima versione del 1593-4 acquistata dal cardinal F M Del Monte e conservata a Roma Pinacoteca Capitolina

. "The Fortune Teller" is a painting that Caravaggio executed twice. The one in the Capitoline is the first version while the second version is in the Louvre in Paris.A young gipsy and a naif man

The swindlers I bari 1593, acquistato dal cardinale F. M. Del Monte conservato a Fort Worth

•Three men playing cards, a man is hiding in his belt a card the naïf young man on the left is being cheated by the others players •Three men playing cards, a man is hiding in his belt a card the naïf young man on the left is being cheated by the others players •Three men playing cards, a man is hiding in his belt a card the naïf young man on the left is being cheated by the others players •Three men playing cards, a man is hiding in his belt a card the naïf young man on the left is being cheated by the others players •Three men playing cards, a man is hiding in his belt a card the naïf young man on the left is being cheated by the others players •Three men playing cards, a man is hiding in his belt a card the naïf young man on the left is being cheated by the others players

Three men playing cards, a man is hiding in his belt a card the naïf young man on the left is being cheated by the others players

BBasket of fruit

Canestra di frutta 1597,Milano, Pinacoteca Ambrosianadonato dal cardinale Federico Borromeo alla Pinacoteca nel 1607

This painting was on the Cardinal’s Borromeo study to reflect on the frailty of the lifeThe lives are dried and the apple is rotten.This is the first still life to be the only subject depicted in a frame, not used to decorate or to fill other scenesThe basket of fruit set on a woden table , coming out towards us

• This is the first still life to be the only subject depicted in a frame, not used to decorate or to fill other scenes

• The basket of fruit set on a wooden table, coming out towards us this is a device used by Caravaggio to involve the viewers inside the paintings

Giuditta e Oloferne , 1599, Roma Galleria Nazionale d’Arte Antica palazzo BarberiniEseguita per Ottavio Costa , banchiere genovese e amico dei Giustiniani

•Like at the Theater a red curtain gets open to aloud us to see what is on •The Juish heroin Judith is killing Oloferne, the chief of the enemies, after a night of love •Caravaggio depicts the scene with a dramatic intensity the blood is running all over

•Like at the Theater a red curtain gets open to aloud us to see what is on •The Juish heroin Judith is killing Oloferne, the chief of the enemies, after a night of love •Caravaggio depicts the scene with a dramatic intensity the blood is running all over

•Like at the Theater a red curtain gets open to aloud us to see what is on •The Juish heroin Judith is killing Oloferne, the chief of the enemies, after a night of love •Caravaggio depicts the scene with a dramatic intensity the blood is running all over

As at the Theater a red curtain gets open to aloud us to see what is on The Juish heroin Judith is killing Oloferne, after a night of love , the chief of the enemies, Caravaggio depicts the scene with a dramatic intensity the blood is running all over

Giuditta , Particolare

Chiesa di san Luigi dei Francesi, Roma

Contarelli Chapel , general view of Saint Matthew."

Caravaggio uses a device to involve

believers, knowing where the natural

light comes from in the chapel, and

knowing where the paintings would be

he made the light of window correspond

to the light in the pictures

."

"The Calling of Saint Matthew-1599-1600Jesus points his hand to the tax collectorJesus and Saint Peter are wearing with their time clothes, while all the others are wearing Caravaggio’s time clothes- to bring up to date the event The light is the Mercy of God, the room is gloomy, Jesus is saying “follow me”

"The Martyrdom of Saint Matthew."

Two diagonals give dynamic effects to the tragic event

Caravaggio to involve the viewers and make them feeling part of the scene depicts his self-portrait in the background peeping from a column , while on the foreground two young men seem coming out of the frame

1602 San Matteo che trascrive il VangeloPrima versione realizzata per il card. Contarelli che aveva lasciato disposizioni prima di morire, rifiutata perché

indecorosa,acquistata da Vincenzo Giustiniani è andata distrutta

“

"Inspiration of Saint Matthew,“ first version refused by the ChurchToo much humblest Matthew hasbare dirty feet, Illiterate,(the angel has to guide his hand)partly bold head

Set with his legs crossed, in an inapropriated postureThe angel is touching him, not only guiding him

San Matteo che trascrive il Vangelo, 1602, versione definitiva

"Inspiration of Saint Matthew“ second version

His self - portrait, detail from “ The Martyrdom of Saint Matthew."

Engraving of Piazza di santa Maria del Popolo 1752, opera di G. Vasi

Chiesa di santa Maria del Popoloin 1600, Caravaggio received the commission to paint two works to decorate the lateral walls of a chapel in the Augustinian church of Santa Maria del Popolo. These are his famous canvases of The Conversion of Saint Paul and The Crucifixion of Saint Peter.

1600-1601 Cerasi Chapel general viewel Popolo

The Conversion of Saint Paul Cerasi Chapel

The Conversion of Saint Paul , detail

The Crucifixion of Saint Peter. 1600-01, Cerasi Chapel

1604 The Death of the Virgin in the Louvre

Red curtain displays the scene like at the theatre

The Virgin has dirty and bare feet in foreground Part of her legs are nakedHer corpse is swollen

1604 The Death of the Virgin detail

The painting was rejected by the Carmelite monks whose church in the popular quarter of Trastevere it was to decorate

It was purchased by the Duke of Mantua on the recommendation of Peter Paul Rubens.

Madonna dei Palafrenieri,1605, Roma , Galleria Borghese

• In the last years Caravaggio's temper became hotter

• Wrote one observer: "After a fortnight's work he will swagger about for a month or two with a sword at his side and a servant following him, from one pub to the next, ever ready to engage in a fight or an argument."

• His violence finally erupted with force in 1606, when he killed a well-known Roman pimp named Ranuccio Tomassoni Immediately following the murder, Caravaggio fled Rome and sought refuge in different locations: Naples, Malta and Sicily

"David with the Head of Goliath,", 1609,Roma, Galleria Borghese

•One of the last painting , C. is asking for Mercy, depicting himself in the c head of Goliath •One of the last painting , C. is asking for Mercy, depicting himself in the c head of Goliath •One of the last painting , C. is asking for Mercy, depicting himself in the c head of Goliath

In order to avoid punishment for murder, Caravaggio's only salvation could come from the pope, who had the power to pardon him. Most of his friends were working to secure his pardon, in 1610 Caravaggio began to make his way back to Rome. Sailing from Naples, he was arrested then released, arrived at Port'Ercole, where died just a few days later, on July 18, 1610.

One of the last painting , C. is asking for Mercy, depicting himself in the head of Goliath

Detail – Golia’s head (His self – portrait), 1609,Roma- Galleria Borghese