Bill and I make it a rule never to pass a church in Italy without going in. If you do you will often be rewarded by the sight of a great work of art. In the church of San Luigi dei Francesi, in Rome, you will see three scenes from the life of Saint Matthew painted by Caravaggio. That's the Calling of St. Matthew, 1599-1600, above.
In the same church is the Inspiration of St. Matthew, also called St. Matthew and the Angel, 1603. It's wonderful to see them where Caravaggio painted them to be seen.
In the Chiesa di Sant'Augustino, in Rome you will find the Madonna dei Pellegrini, 1609. By painting the peasants realistically, with dirty feet, Caravaggio apparently changed the development of western painting. Is this true?
Who does drama better than Caravaggio, while thumbing his nose at the church.
ReplyDeleteHe is certainly a master of creating drama, but I also think of him as one of our best religious artists.
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