“There was art before him and art after him and they were not the same.”

August 1, 2015 5:02 PM

Caravaggio [Part 1] [Part 2] [Part 3] [Part 4] [Part 5] [Part 6] [Part 7] Art critic Robert Hughes reflects on the work of troubled Italian artist Caravaggio.
posted by Fizz (7 comments total)

True, and that kid was trouble.
posted by R. Mutt at 5:05 PM on August 1, 2015 [1 favorite]

Derek Jarman's retelling of the artist's short life: Carravaggio
posted by R. Mutt at 5:10 PM on August 1, 2015

Fantastic, something to watch on Sunday night. Thanks.
posted by mattoxic at 5:33 PM on August 1, 2015

I heard he killed a man.
posted by alex_skazat at 5:43 PM on August 1, 2015

Andrew Graham-Dixon's book Caravaggio: A Life Sacred and Profane [Grauniad review] & somewhat accompanying TV series Who Killed Caravaggio? [YT playlist] are also well worth a look.

(There's also a earlier BBC special just titled Caravaggio that doesn't seem to be on YT, but is available through the usual suspect channels...)
posted by Pinback at 5:45 PM on August 1, 2015 [3 favorites]

> There was art before him and art after him and they were not the same.

The depiction of almost-rotten fruit underwent a revolution. A revolution, I tell you!

Also almost-rotten relationships, as with this fellow, whose drapery I have always suspected of covering up some soft brown spots that will soon be softer, browner, and bigger. Really, cook is just gonna have to throw him out along with all those cantaloupes nobody ate at Eleanora's reception.
posted by jfuller at 6:00 PM on August 1, 2015

Also almost-rotten relationships, as with this fellow,

Carrivaggio painted him two years earlier in Boy with a Basket of Fruit, which I think of as the most unsubtle "look at the hottie I'm sticking it in" painting of all time.
posted by Rinku at 6:59 AM on August 2, 2015 [1 favorite]