1. Italian Baroque Paintings
Caravaggio & Gentileschi

2. Baroque The term baroque was not a complement.
Portuguese for “imperfect pearl”
It has come to include the following definitions:
Dramatic
Elaborate ornamentation
Sensuality combined with spirituality
Naturalistic rather than ideal
Emotional rather than rational

3. Italian Baroque Painting
Chiaroscuro
Italian for light - dark
A contrast between light and dark
Naturalism
Depiction of realistic objects in a natural setting
Key – R - a - scur -ro

4. Caravaggio Master of Chiaroscuro & Naturalism
Frequent problems with the police
Painted sacred scenes using ordinary people

5. Early Works

6. Bacchus

7. The Musicians The Musicians
Painted for the Cardinal del Monte who liked paintings of effeminate men.

8. Church Commissions

9. The Calling of St. Matthew

10. The Martyrdom of St. Mathew

11. Caravaggio the Superstar
Commissions roll in, but they go to his head
Enters a violent stage of his life with constant run-ins with the law

12. Doubting Thomas

13. The Conversion of St. Paul
Elevation of commonplace to miraculous
Uses perspective and chiaroscuro to bring viewers as close as possible

14. The Crucifixion of St. Peter

17. Troubles Continue
Accused of libeling a rival artist and is put in jail
Busted for carrying weapons without a permit

18. Death of the Virgin

19. Troubles Boil Over Challenged a rival to a duel
Rival refused
Caravaggio ambushed him at night and left him for dead
Challenged a local pimp to a duel
Killed him
Had to flee Rome
To regain honor, traveled to Malta to become a knight of the Order of St. John

20. The Beheading of St. John the Bapist
Painted for the Knights of St. John in exchange for a commission. He’s defrocked six months later.

21. Goliath

22. Artemisia Gentileschi
First woman in the history of Western art to have a significant impact on the art of her time.
Student of Caravaggio
Raped and tortured at age 20
Raped by her father’s friend, who told her it was okay and that she’d marry him. At her trial she’s tortured with a sibille, wire wound around the fingers and tightened. She looks at the guy as her fingers are bleeding and says this is the wedding ring you promised me. He’s found guilty and serves only 8 months in jail.

23. Susanna and The Elders.
Done at age 19. Raped less than a year later.
Two guys tell Susanna that they’ll accuse her of adultery (punishable by death) if she doesn’t give them sex. She refuses, they take her court and say they saw her have sex with a man, she’s sentenced to death. Daniel intervenes and saves her. Tells them to cross examine the guys individually. Their stories don’t add up.

24. Judith Slaying Holofernes

26. Comparison
Caravaggio
Gentileschi