Late Caravaggio

Magazine Antiques, March, 2005 by Miriam Kramer

Following its exhibition on Raphael's early years, the National Gallery in London is holding one devoted to the final years of Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio. According to the curator, Dawson Carr, Carvaggio was "one of the first great realists; that was his revolution. He rejected the idealism that was prevalent in Italy. His art is about expression through the human figure; he probes the psychology of his subjects and the settings are less important."

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Caravaggio was born in 1571 in a small Italian town near Bergamo. He studied under a minor pupil of Titian and made his way to Rome by 1592. There he prospered despite a tempestuous and violent temperament until he was forced to flee in 1606 after killing his opponent in a fight. He died in mysterious circumstances in 1610 on his return to Rome after working in Naples, Malta, and Sicily.

Caravaggio was out of favor for a long time, and the first serious exhibition of his work was not held until 1951 in Milan. The current show, which was seen earlier at the Polo Museale in Naples, is the first in Britain to examine his late works. Entitled Caravaggio: The Final Years, it is on view until May 22. The accompanying catalogue is edited by Kate Bell and is distributed in North America by Yale University Press. It may be purchased by telephoning 800-405-1619.

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