Caravaggio, Death of St. Matthew

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Caravaggio, Death of St. Matthew

Michelangelo de Caravaggio is one of the most renowned and popular artists of the Baroque Period. In fact, many paintings from this period, as well as after have been described as “Caravagesque.” Caravaggio’s works are some of the most popular in Italy, as well as around the world, and have been put into there own stylistic group. In his painting, the Martyrdom of St. Matthew, there contains certain characteristics that make the painting easily recognizable to a connoisseur of fine paintings. This paper will discuss some background of this artist’s life, the content of the work, some ideas that it portrays and contains, and a visual description of the painting.

Michelangelo Amerigi, known in the art world as Caravaggio, was born in Caravaggio, in Lombardy, Italy. He was born into a somewhat successful family, in which his father worked as a mason. Growing up in Lombardy was not the most superlative place for a young artist. Luckily for him, Milan, Italy was nearby, and he took up studying art there. Shortly after that he moved to Rome, which was the center of the art world at the time, and began what was a most masterful career. Many of Caravaggio's paintings reflected his personality and character. As a young boy up until he was an old man, Caravaggio had a terrible temper, and was not afraid of confrontation or death. Many times it seemed as though he went out looking for a confrontation. In one instance, over a difference in a game of ball, he challenged another young man to a fight in which resulted in Caravaggio killing him with his sword. This was not the only confrontation though; there are several more documented throughout his life, in several different courts. Caravaggio’s attitude and character allowed himself to express some of the darker and naturally gruesome scenes of religion, mythology, and history. Unlike anyone else, his paintings captured an audience with his use of natural looking figures, dramatic situations, and with a powerful sense of immediacy.

Caravaggio’s Death of St. Matthew is a painting in which his characteristics are represented very clearly. Many of Caravaggio’s works were those of religious scenes that were stories from the Bible and other scriptural readings. Matthews’s death resulted from his public disapproval of the King of Ethiopia having a sexual inte...

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.... For these reasons, Caravaggio painted over his previous work, and we are left with the current masterpiece of today. His use of realism, dark shades, and mysterious light sources were perfect for what the Church wanted at this time.

Bibliography

1. Camiz, Franca Trinchieri, Death and Rebirth in Caravaggio’s Martyrdom of St. Matthew, Artibus et Historiae, 1990, no. 22, p. 89-105. (BHA, 1992 #2264)

2. Croppel, E., The Petrifying Art: Marino’s Poetry and Caravaggio, Metropolitan Museum Journal, 1991, vol. 26, p. 193-212. (Art Index)

3. Friedlaender, Walter F., Caravaggio Studies, New York: Schocken Books, 1969. (reserve desk)

4. Hass, Angela, Caravaggio’s Calling of St. Matthew reconsidered, Journal of the Warburg and Courtauld Institutes, 1988, vol. 51, p. 245-50. (First Search)

5. Hibbard, H., Caravaggio, New York: Harpe and Kow, 1983. (reserve desk)

6. Hibbard, H., Caravaggio’s Two St. Matthews, Romiches Jahrbuch fair Kunstgeschichte, 1983, vol. 20, p. 181-91. (Art Index)

7. Puttfarken, Thomas, Caravaggio’s ‘Story of St. Matthew’: a challenge to the conventions of painting, Art History, June 1998, vol. 21 no. 22, p. 163-81. (First Search)

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