Today in the lecture we learned about the famous Italian artist Caravaggio, real name Michelangelo Merisi.
Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio was born in 1571 in Lomardia, Northern Italy. He is known for his artworks that convey a strong sense of light and drama. The 21-year-old artist moved to the capital city of Rome and painted on the streets of Rome and sold them to survive. Caravaggio first began by painting religious and social scenes with deep meaning.
In Rome, he started relationships with important and influential people that were instrumental in his progression as an artist. The Cardinal Francesco Maria Del Monte was an important diplomatic person in seventeenth-century Italy and a well-known patron of the arts. Many of Caravaggio’s commissions, including The Lute Player, were from Del Monte for his personal collection. When Caravaggio painted the Lute Player, he was already broadly known, and his pieces were extremely desired. A few years later he would become the most famous artist in Italy.
In 1606, Caravaggio was mortally wounded in a swordfight, and his opponent was killed in battle. He was arrested and sentenced to death. The artist immediately left Rome and went to Malta, hoping to return later. There he was well received and allowed to stay until the next battle, but Caravaggio was imprisoned and later banished from the island.
Then he came to Naples and was again involved in a fight, this time he was severely beaten and disfigured. His powerful friends in Rome obtained a papal pardon and permission to return. He was arrested while preparing to set sail with all his possessions on board and paid for his release. However, all his possessions remained on the ship. Alone and ill, he died under mysterious circumstances. There are various theories about Caravaggio's death, some say he died of a fever and others believe he died of lead poisoning or was killed.
At the end of the lecture, we were shown a 20-minute video about Caravaggio's "Boy Bitten by a Lizard". It was explained through the video that this work of his has a very deep meaning. The rose in the picture represents this short life. The precious vase on the table is depicted by the artist as being fragile, whereas precious persons can easily break like glass. As for the lizard, this animal is a symbol of temptation and consequences in art. In the portrait, Caravaggio depicted himself in front of the mirror with a face of panic and concern. In general, everything in the picture represents how short life is.
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