References National Gallery London / Great Museums of the World. Ed Carlo Ludovico Ragghianti. Published by Newsweek 1981. p77. 100 Masterpieces of Art. Marina Vaizey. Paragon Book. 1979. p47. The Great Artists. Issue 63. Published by Marshall Cavendish. The Story of Painting. Sister Wendy Beckett. Dorling Kindersley. P176.

But look at the later version, painted in 1606, and everyone, especially the artist, seems so much older and wiser. The painting is much more subfusc, the men drawn together - a communion - by the lapping darkness around them as one of them proves mysteriously divine. There are no more figs: the feast has shrunk to bread and wine. Christ has a gentle wryness about him, an inward smile as he reveals himself to the doubters. And they are not simply thunderstruck but awed, reverential, light slipping through their fingers as they try to grasp the meaning of the scene. What happened in between? Certainly there is a huge shift from the spotlit dramas, so brilliant and self-assertive, to the graver visions of the later years that marks a deepening of wisdom; but a wisdom about art as much as life. Caravaggio had already blown away the mincing academicism of late mannerist art and now seems to revolutionise even his own painting.

Supper at Emmaus. The first is painted in 1601, when Caravaggio is at the peak of his success lavish feast throws a shadow in the shape of that Christian symbol, a fish. The only fact we have is that there was a significant change in his appearance after the resurrection when even Mary Magdalene did not instantly recognise Him.

Supper at Emmaus. The first is painted in 1601, when Caravaggio is at the peak of his success lavish feast throws a shadow in the shape of that Christian symbol, a fish.

But look at the later version, painted in 1606, and everyone, especially the artist, seems so much older and wiser. The painting is much more subfusc, the men drawn together - a communion - by the lapping darkness around them as one of them proves mysteriously divine. There are no more figs: the feast has shrunk to bread and wine. Christ has a gentle wryness about him, an inward smile as he reveals himself to the doubters. And they are not simply thunderstruck but awed, reverential, light slipping through their fingers as they try to grasp the meaning of the scene. What happened in between? Certainly there is a huge shift from the spotlit dramas, so brilliant and self-assertive, to the graver visions of the later years that marks a deepening of wisdom; but a wisdom about art as much as life. Caravaggio had already blown away the mincing academicism of late mannerist art and now seems to revolutionise even his own painting.

Less colourful, limited palette. Less homoerotic But look at the later version, painted in 1606, and everyone, especially the artist, seems so much older and wiser. The painting is much more subfusc, the men drawn together - a communion - by the lapping darkness around them as one of them proves mysteriously divine. There are no more figs: the feast has shrunk to bread and wine. Christ has a gentle wryness about him, an inward smile as he reveals himself to the doubters. And they are not simply thunderstruck but awed, reverential, light slipping through their fingers as they try to grasp the meaning of the scene. What happened in between? Certainly there is a huge shift from the spotlit dramas, so brilliant and self-assertive, to the graver visions of the later years that marks a deepening of wisdom; but a wisdom about art as much as life. Caravaggio had already blown away the mincing academicism of late mannerist art and now seems to revolutionise even his own painting. In both paintings Jesus is an everyday man surrounded by the sort of followers the pope would not have shared a room with. But in the first Jesus is young, reborn and hopeful, and the painting is full of light. It was painted in 1601, before Caravaggio’s flight from Rome. The second, painted five years later, immediately after he left the city, is much darker. Where previously Jesus blessed a roast chicken, here it is a solitary artichoke — one of the staples of the Roman poor. The painting seems to reflect Caravaggio’s fall from grace

But look at the later version, painted in 1606, and everyone, especially the artist, seems so much older and wiser. The painting is much more subfusc, the men drawn together - a communion - by the lapping darkness around them as one of them proves mysteriously divine. There are no more figs: the feast has shrunk to bread and wine. Christ has a gentle wryness about him, an inward smile as he reveals himself to the doubters. And they are not simply thunderstruck but awed, reverential, light slipping through their fingers as they try to grasp the meaning of the scene. What happened in between? Certainly there is a huge shift from the spotlit dramas, so brilliant and self-assertive, to the graver visions of the later years that marks a deepening of wisdom; but a wisdom about art as much as life. Caravaggio had already blown away the mincing academicism of late mannerist art and now seems to revolutionise even his own painting.

What we love now is what they loved then: the strongly raking light, the dark cavern in which figures gesture and twist, the intimacy, the combination of demotic and high rhetoric, the violent drama, the sense of motion so vividly proleptic it seems about to burst right out of the painting. a painter for whom saints looked like sinners and both lack all decorum, with their sun-scorched forearms and filthy toenails. all brightness and blackness, as a single source - light coming through a ... If there is a perfect demonstration of the way Caravaggio uses light and ...

Tragedy of a Genius or Evil-doer inspire by demon. I have never read a criticism of the humility, the insight or the sheer scale of the tragic imagination that characterise the final pictures. One of the greatest murder mysteries in the history of art appears to have been solved with new evidence that Caravaggio, the Italian artist, killed a rival in a botched attempt to castrate him. For almost 400 years historians have asserted that Caravaggio, who painted a number of Renaissance masterpieces, murdered Ranuccio Tomassoni in 1606 in a row over a tennis match. A BBC documentary by Andrew Graham-Dixon, one of the world's leading art historians, will, however, disclose this week that the killing followed a dispute between the two over Fillide Melandroni, a female prostitute, whose services both men sought. His only signature on his painting was signed in blood (Beheading of At John the Baptist).

First created Jun 2005. Version 2.0 - 2 Sep 2011. Jerry Tse. London. All rights reserved. Rights belong to their respective owners. Available free for non-commercial and personal use. Caravaggio Basket of Fruit. C1598-1599. and ‘The Supper at Emmaus’

Self Portrait as Sick Bacchus. c1593. Rome Period His paintings

Boy with a Basket of Fruit. c1594. The fruits in his paintings were often over-ripe and starting to decay. The leaves were wilting and colours were fading. Rome Period

Rome Period

Bacchus, 1596. Rome Period

Bacchus (Detail), 1596. Rome Period

Judith Beheading Holofernes. C1598. Rome Period

The Calling of St Matthew. 1599-1600. Rome Period

The Incredulity of St Thomas. 1601-02. Rome Period

The Entombment. 1602-03. Rome Period An uncompromised realistic Virgin Mary, painted as an old woman.

The Death of the Virgin (Detail). 1605-06. Rome Period

Caravaggio – Saint Jerome St Jerome. 1605-06. This was painted at the height of his career.

Madonna del Rosario. 1607. Post Rome Period

Conversion of Magdalene. 1598. Rome Period

Conversion of Magdalene (Detail). 1598. Rome Period

Portrait of Alof de Wignacourt. 1608. Malta Period

David with the Head of Goliath. c1605 or 1610 . Post Rome Period Did Caravaggio offer his head for exchange of pardon?

His last painting. Naples The Martyrdom of St Ursula, 1610. St Ursula refused to marry a pagan Hun, who fired an arrow at her at point blank.

The Supper at Emmaus c.1601 The Supper at Emmaus. c1601. National Gallery, London

The Story Supper at Emmaus. 1601. Caravaggio. National Gallery. London. The Bible tells the story of two apostles meeting a stranger on their way to the village of Emmaus. They talked about Jesus’ Crucifixion and his body’s disappearance from his tomb. At dinner, the stranger blessed and broke the bread, prompting the apostles to recognize that the stranger was Jesus. He then vanished from their sight. On the left of the painting was probably Cleophas, one of the apostles. On the opposite was Peter, who wore a sea shell to show he was a pilgrim. The innkeeper was depicted standing beside Jesus. Why did the apostles not recognise Jesus? Born 29 Sept in Milan 1577 Father dies 1584 Apprenticeship with Simone Peterzano until 1588 1592 Moved to Rome 1599 First public commission 1603 Litigated for defamation. 1605 Arrested for carrying a fire arm without a permit, in a fight. Wounded a lawyer. 1606 Flees Rome for Naples following murder 1608 Stays in Malta and becomes a knight 1609 Returns to Naples badly wounded 1610 Dies of malaria on 18th July.

In the age of oil-lamps and flickering candles, the painting’s dark background can easily blend into its surroundings, creating an illusion of reality.

The People Jesus was depicted as a young beardless man with a feminine look wearing a bright red gown, different from the traditional images of Christ. Perhaps it was the changed appearance of a resurrected Jesus that his apostles did not immediately recognise him? The Innkeeper, with a scarf on his head, was looking at Jesus, emotionless. Why did Caravaggio include him? Was he there to represent the non-believers? Or did he see Jesus as just another man? Peter (presumed) with foreshortening arms penetrating the observer’s space. Cleophas, wearing a rag, with arms supporting himself. A solemn Jesus with an unimpressed innkeeper. The innkeeper’s shadow conveniently casting a halo above Jesus. The apostles were clothed like labourers and not in robes. Cleophas’ coat had a hole at the elbow, which protruded from the painting. He was shown pushing himself up at the moment Jesus revealed his true identity, by blessing the bread. Peter, with his crooked nose and untidy hair, threw his foreshortened arms in a gesture of utter astonishment, echoing the Crucifixion. His arm stuck out from the painting, his right hand looked ‘out of focus’ and slightly larger than his left.

The Table Caravaggio could only have copied the fruits in autumn, even though the Resurrection occurred around Easter. He was originally trained as a still-life painter and took the subject seriously, declaring that ‘it took as much skill to paint a good picture of flowers as of figures’. On the table there were bread, water and wine, a roasted chicken and a wicker basket full of over-ripe fruits, painted to the smallest detail – lesions, fungal spots and worm holes. The rotting fruits symbolized death, decay and the transient nature of life. Pomegranate was used as a metaphor for the crown of thorns and the apples & the figs represent man’s original sin. The wilting vine leaves and grapes related to red wine; the blood of Christ.

Supper of Emmaus. 1601. Caravaggio. National Gallery. London.

Supper of Emmaus 1606 Supper of Emmaus. 1606. Oil. Caravaggio. Pinacoteca di Brera. Milan This work of the same event was painted by Caravaggio, whilst on the run, after he had committed murder. It was five to six years after the original and included an extra person, a maid. Far more subdued, with figures emerging into the light, a limited palette was used with no bright colours. His later paintings all shared this quality. This image of Christ was more traditional. The expressions of the subjects were more sober, their gestures restrained and less theatrical. The table is comparatively bare including bread, a bowl, a plate and a jug. The basket of fruits is gone. The subjects are older, their youthfulness disappeared. A transformation from a rich, colourful and dramatic depiction to a darker and more ‘mundane’ vision of the same event. Does this reflect the state of Caravaggio’s mind while on the run?

Supper of Emmaus. 1606. Pinacoteca di Brera. Milan

The man and his arts Head of the Medusa. 1598-1599.

Caravaggio, the man Michelangelo Merisi, commonly known as Caravaggio, was very influential in the history of painting. Born in Milan c1571, he served his art apprenticeship. He then moved to Rome in search of work between 1588-1590. His life was unruly, dramatic and violent. Constantly in trouble with the police for street brawls, he committed a murder in 1606 which forced him to be on the run, for the rest of his life. Carravagio fled to Naples, then to Malta (1607) where he was knighted by the Order of St. John. After assaulting a Justiciary, he was imprisoned. Subsequently he escaped to Sicily and went to Naples in 1609 where his enemies finally caught up with him. The following year he travelled by boat to Porto Ercole (nr. Rome), where he was arrested by mistake and released. He contracted a fever here and died on the 18 July 1610, age 38. The severed head of Goliath, painted in 1609-10, is probably a self-portrait. Shown offering his own head, like a hunted creature, wanted by the authorities and enemies alike. Portrait of Caravaggio on the old Lire note.

The Technique & Styles The single most important hallmark of Caravaggio’s painting styles is a dark background. Mostly illuminated by a single strong light source, diagonally from the left, creating a stark contrast between brightness and blackness; chiaroscuro. He painted with a vivid and uncompromising sense of realism, exemplified by dirty feet, rotting fruits, shabby and ageing saints. His paintings are overwhelmed with the truthfulness of seeing and all the subtleness of humanity; its highs and its lows. Caravaggio liked to shock, using provocative, dramatic and violent images - bold gestures, deliberate brutality, severed heads, streams of blood, probing wound. He challenged accepted conventions and in his painting, The Death of the Virgin, he used a prostitute (allegedly his girlfriend Lena) as model for the Madonna. The Death of the Virgin (Detail). 1606. Oil on canvas. Musee du Louvre, Paris. The painting was rejected by the church, as it was rumoured that Caravaggio’s model was ‘a dirty whore from the Ortaccio’. Many of his works offended religious sensibilities. Judith Beheading Holofernes (Detail) 1598-9. The Doubting Thomas (Detail). c1603. Potsdam. Is Carravagio’s style trying to reengage the daily lives and experiences of the poor with biblical events?

Tragedy of a Genius Was Caravaggio’s life the Tragedy of a Genius or an Evil one inspired by a demon? Ruskin, a critic and social theorist, saw his art as ‘signs of an evil mind, ill repressed’ in particular highlighting ‘the perpetual seeking for and feeding upon horror and ugliness, and filthiness of sin’. Caravaggio establishes the notion of the rebellious artist, an anti-establishment figure commentating on society, challenging our preconceived ideas with a fiercely unique style. Above all, Caravaggio remains an extraordinary painter with an equally controversial life; violent by nature and a known killer. Portrait of Caravaggio (Detail) by Ottavio Leoni. Was Caravaggio a homosexual? Caravaggio painted homo-erotic images of young men although there is no evidence that he was homosexual himself. Some suggest Cardinal Francesco Del Monte, his patron, indulged in a hedonistic lifestyle. Notably, after Caravaggio left Rome, he stopped painting such images. A bungled castration attempt? According to art historians (Andrew Graham-Dixon, Maurizio Marini, Monsignor Sandro Corradini) and with documents held in Vatican and Rome State archives, Carravagio’s crime followed a dispute between Ranuccio Tomassoni and himself over Fillide Melandroni, a female prostitute, who was with both men. Using tennis as a pretext to meet, Caravaggio pinned Tomassoni to the ground in a duel. He then made a bungled attempt to castrate him. Tomassoni probably moved and Caravaggio severed his femoral artery.

His Famous Followers It is almost impossible to overestimate the influence of Caravaggio. He was widely admired and an extremely influential painter of 17th century Italy. Among his followers were Orazio Gentileschi (Italian), Artemisia Gentileschi (daughter), Velazquez (Spanish), Murillo (Spanish), La Tour (French), Rubens (Belgium) and Rembrandt (Dutch). La Tour – Card Players Rembrandt – Anatomy Lecture Valazquez – Egg Fryer Is a film like Pretty Baby, in which Brooke Shields plays a 12 year old prostitute directed by Louis Malle, part of the Caravaggio tradition?

Music – Beethoven. Piano Concerto No 5 in E flat, ‘Emperor’, 1st Movement, Allegro. Played by Emil Gilets (piano). The Cleveland Orchestra. All rights reserved. Rights belong to their respective owners. Available free for non-commercial and personal use. The End 1571 - 1610