Among Friends and Rivals: Caravaggio in Rome
Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio, Martha and Mary Magdalene, ca. 1598,. Detroit Institute of Arts, gift of the Kresge Foundation and Mrs. Edsel B. Ford.
Whether for his large dramatic canvases or his larger-than-life persona, the name Caravaggio evokes images of turmoil and violence, sacred and profane. With two rarely loaned paintings and works by his devoted followersf rom AIC’s own collection, this exhibition highlights both the grand spectacle and intense influence of Caravaggio’s extraordinary work.
Born in Milan in 1571, Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio entered the robust Roman art scene around 1592 and, over the next 14 years, developed an original and captivating painting style that attracted eminent patrons and passionate followers, thrusting him into the public eye. The artist became equally known for his wild behavior; a street brawler, Caravaggio was familiar with the shady underworld of taverns and their clientele, whom he frequently depicted in his work.
Caravaggio’s followers, known as the Caravaggisti, embraced the stylistic hallmarks of the painter’s intensely naturalistic work. Like their trailblazing idol, they used models from real life, boldly depicting their quirks and flaws in dynamic compositions whose turbulent movement was revealed in dramatic extremes of light and dark. The themes and individual artistic approaches of Caravaggisti often depended on their direct or indirect relationships to Caravaggio—some knew the artist personally, while others knew him only through his work.
The artist ultimately fled Rome in 1606 to escape a death sentence for murdering a man in a street fight. He spent the rest of his short career working in Naples, Sicily, and Malta before his death in 1610. Much like the artist’s life, the taste for Caravaggism burned bright but fast: by the mid-17th century, painters in Rome had moved on to new styles.