Project 8 - letter recommending Caravaggio

This was a lot more fun that I thought would be and I have mucked about a bit pretending to write in a style I think of as early 17thC!!!  Not sure if I was supposed to write more about the kind of work that Caravaggio would produce but enjoyed researching more about his life etc.  Wrote it in Word and used a nice curly font which makes it look more authentic too.  Decided to do this option as really struggled thinking abouty how to tackle the option of selecting works for the Cardinals rooms. 

On the 26th day of May in the year 1607


My dearest colleague

Our mutual friend de Marchoni has informed me that you are in the business of commissioning a work from one of the great artists of our age, de Marchoni has asked that I act as advisor to you in this matter as I am knowledgeable in the works of these fine men.

I would like to recommend to you the artist Caravaggio as in my opinion and that of many other men of this city he has a mastery unknown before and has a use of the light and dark within his paintings that is unseen before his time and is copied by many men but not matched in his expertise.

You may have heard of the reputation of Caravaggio and that he is a man who is very ready with his temper and with his sword. Indeed it is told that he did kill a man last year with his sword when he did reside in the city of Rome and at that time he did flee to our city of Naples. There may be truth in this story but we must only be grateful that we are able to give home to a genius and it is true that many men of great skill and talent do have a temper that is most firey. I must admit that the man is rouge and a blaggard and when he is not painting he does carouse around with his followers but he is also a hard worker and will produce for you a work of the finest quality and definition and in goodly time also.

If you should so wish for Caravaggio to produce a work for you his skill lies in making pictures that are on fine stretched canvas and made with paints of pigments and oils. He paints very fine religious scenes and as such can not be a man that is all bad and devilish. He is also much regarded for painting scenes of everyday life which tell in one simple image a story to the viewer. He is famed for his works the Fortune Teller and the Card Sharps and if you are able to view these images you will see his work is fine indeed.

I would suggest you commission of him to paint for you a depiction of an event in the life of one of our most holy saints. You will find that they way he treats his subjects will make you relate them to the real life men that you see around the streets of the city and it will mean that you feel closer to the saints in this very way. He has a way of painting a man that is so real to life and natural in its forms that it does make you feel like he may be able to reach out and touch your very hand.

You will find that his pictures have such bright light and have the contrasts of such darkness. He is such a master of this style that it has been named for him and other men like to paint with this much more pronounced chiaroscuro that has been called the tenebrism but some men would call it the Caravaggism.

I recommend again to you that you disregard the tales that you may hear of the ways of this master and if you would consider him for your commission I am able to arrange for you to meet and discuss the matter further.

Yours most truly


R Wiccoco

Unit 8 - Early 17C Italy

I read Gombrich before reading the chapter again this time and felt it was useful - I realise this is reading two 'surveys' so I'm not getting any more in depth knowledge but I find I would rather read similar information by 2 different writers than read the chapter through twice (which I think it would need if reading it alone as it is so in depth can't take it all in on first reading).  Although I like some of the individual artists featured, not really very keen on the baroque style - or not as I think of it as fancy shmancy, over the top, Lawrence Llewlyn Bowen!!!

Term baroque like many other stylistic labels comes from critical abuse - etymology of the word is from the Italian barocco - tortuous medievel pedantry and barrocco - Portuguese for a deformed pearl - put together they refer to something deviating from the norm.  This is a more difficult style to define and distinguish from others of the time (classicists and naturalism).  Honour and Fleming say "predominantly religious emotionalism, dynamic energy and exuberant decorative richness which was generated in Rome and spread all over Europe and beyond..." (page 572)

At this time rise of art collecting and thus art dealers - in turn leading to move away from large fresocs and murals to easel paintings - more portable and easier to sell/buy/display.

First art schools - Academys. Before 1560s academys were just literary but artists and sculptures move away from the craft guilds and wish to become seen as intellectuals led to the setting up of them.  Place for artists to meet, discuss problems, practice painting.  By early 1600s St Luke's in Rome had lectures in theory, life classes etc to support what the apprentices could do in masters workshops.

Artists of the time

Carravagio - rebellious, bohemian, naturalism over idealism. portrayed religious scenes differently than ever before - made things like real life,  Put in ugly, old people,  Showed Virgin Mary as a neighborhood wife - things like that.  Carrivaggism spread throughout Europe - loads of unidealized, boldly illuminated figures set against dark mysterious backgrounds.  I think David Hockney talked about the lighting of his characters in optics book - each character lit shows how would have set it up - look like real 'modern day' people.

Carracci - together with brother and cousin.  'nature but purified of all gross elements' loads and loads of drawings, drafting, planning.  Did first caricatures (named them!)

Female artist - Artemisia Gentileschi - follower of Carravagio.  Mostly topics with strong female characters. Pretty gory!

Bernini - sculptor, painter, poet, architect, philosopher etc.  Had papal commissions - compared to Michelangelo in breadth of work but not in character.  Has contributed to present day Rome than any other individual.  Proper Baroque - twirly, twiddly fanciness

Claude - French but living in Rome - landscape man

Valazquez - Spanish.  Started in style of Carrivagio.  In 1623 started working for King Philip IV and pretty much continued just for him.  Moved on to more of a Titian style.  Used very light brush strokes and thin paint "such thinly applied paint that the texture of the canvas shows through" Honor and Fleming Page 588.  Most famous pic is Las Meninas (the maids of honour)

TO DO LIST - Unit 8 - by Friday 28th June

If I can get Unit 8 done by the 28th I think I'll be back on track to get Assignment 2 in by start of July...

• Watch episode 9 - The Birth of Baroque
• Read Chapter 13 - the 17C in Europe
• Back up reading with Gombrich relevant chapters
• Annotation - sculpture by Bernini or painting by Caravaggio or Poussion
• Collect images  3 details fro decorative schemes PLUS 3 paintings
• Project 8 - cardinal renovating Roman Palace
• Have another go at accessing lives of painters e book
• Put the artists onto artist page again as blinking firefox crashed
• Write up some reflections on Assignment 1 - want to make sure learning log is 'right'
• Start a new blog for other arty stuff