April 27th, 2024

Happy Saturday! Making it to the weekend always feels like an accomplishment. Friday is actually one of my favorite days of the week. It starts out with an early morning no-gi jiujitsu class (no-gi is training without the traditional gi uniform, a lot like wrestling) which is the most fun class of the week, followed by a shorter day at work, and then wrapped up with sitting down to finish this newsletter. Then I’ll kick back and watch a few episodes of whatever show the wife and I are bingeing to cap off the night.

Right now we’re watching Parts Unknown, the late Anthony Bourdain’s food/travel show. It’s a rewatch for me and on the second time through it’s clear that Bourdain was struggling. His commentary takes on new meaning after his death, revealing hints into his struggles with depression. Like so many others, he didn’t get the help he needed and it ended in tragedy. Honestly, there’s kind of a heavy feeling watching the show now but he was a brilliant writer and to me the show is unmatched for learning about and appreciating the food from cultures around the world while highlighting social issues and injustices.

This week we have an artist who also had a troubled life but created some true masterpieces.

Artist Spotlight - Caravaggio (1571- 1610)

Career

Born in 1571 in Milan, Caravaggio was the son of Fermo Merisi, steward and architect to the Marquis of Caravaggio. Tragically, most of his family died of plague in 1577, a traumatic event that might have influenced his later dark and dramatic themes. He was apprenticed to Simone Peterzano, a Milanese painter, around 1584. Peterzano had allegedly been a pupil of Titian, one of the most famous painters of his day, which likely exposed Caravaggio to Venetian painting styles.

Arriving in Rome in his early 20s, Caravaggio initially struggled with poverty. He found work where he could, eventually landing in the workshop of Giuseppe Cesari. Here he painted flowers and fruit—subjects that were far from the dramatic human figures he would later be known for.

Caravaggio's big break came with the commission of the "Contarelli Chapel" in San Luigi dei Francesi in Rome, where he painted "The Calling of Saint Matthew" and "The Martyrdom of Saint Matthew." These works were revolutionary for their dramatic realism and use of light and shadow. He gained the patronage of Cardinal Francesco Maria Del Monte, who provided him with lodging and commissions. During this period, he created several of his masterpieces, including "Bacchus" and "The Musicians."

Despite his success, Caravaggio was frequently in trouble with the law, known for his brawls and aggressive behavior. In 1606, this turmoil culminated in the death of a young man, Ranuccio Tomassoni, during a brawl, which was possibly over a tennis match. He fled Rome with a death sentence hanging over him. He spent his last years moving between Naples, Malta, and Sicily, still producing significant works like "The Beheading of Saint John the Baptist" (commissioned by the Knights of Malta) and "The Burial of Saint Lucy" in Sicily.

Caravaggio's death in 1610 under mysterious circumstances while on his way back to Rome has been the subject of much speculation. Some theories suggest that he died of fever; others propose that he was murdered for his past crimes or conflicts.

Contributions to the Art World

Caravaggio’s innovative techniques and stylistic developments changed how subjects, especially in religious and dramatic scenes, were portrayed, influencing generations of artists. He was one of the first to introduce extreme realism into painting. He depicted his subjects with unprecedented honesty, including details of dirt under the fingernails and bruises on the skin. This realism brought a human dimension to figures that were traditionally idealized, particularly in religious art.

His techniques and approach to subject matter laid the groundwork for the Baroque movement in art, which emphasized movement, vivid detail, and strong emotions. Caravaggio’s style defined the visual vocabulary of the 17th century and beyond, influencing artists like Peter Paul Rubens, Rembrandt, and Vermeer.

By using ordinary people as models for his biblical and mythological scenes, He made his paintings more accessible and relatable. This practice influenced the genre of realism that would continue to develop in European painting.

Caravaggio's dramatic sense of lighting and composition has influenced not just painters but also filmmakers and photographers, contributing to the narrative techniques used in cinema and photography today.

Style

Caravaggio’s paintings are renowned for their vivid realism and attention to detail. Unlike his contemporaries who idealized their figures, he portrayed his subjects with all their flaws and emotions, making them more relatable and human. His representations included street people, prostitutes, and the poor, who served as models for religious figures, bringing a startling intimacy to his biblical scenes.

He was a master of chiaroscuro, a technique involving the use of stark contrasts between light and dark to achieve a three-dimensional effect. He took this further to develop tenebrism, where the contrasts are even more extreme, often with large areas of darkness and intense beams of light illuminating key parts of the composition. This dramatic lighting heightens the emotional intensity and adds a theatrical quality to his paintings.

Unlike many of his peers, Caravaggio often painted directly onto the canvas without detailed underdrawings. He was known to work "alla prima," applying paint directly in a manner that captured the essence of the subject quickly and with high precision. This method allowed him to achieve a strong immediacy in his paintings, contributing to their vibrant, lifelike quality. His color palette was relatively limited compared to other artists of his time. He often used dark and muted tones, punctuated by vivid highlights, focusing the viewer’s attention more on the drama of the scene and the psychological depth of the characters rather than elaborate color schemes.

Caravaggio primarily used oil paints, which allowed him to build up rich textures and detailed variations in light and shade. The slow drying time of oil also permitted him to blend colors directly on the canvas, creating soft edges and subtle transitions that enhanced the lifelike appearance of his subjects. His practice of using live models from everyday life for religious and mythological scenes was innovative at the time. This practice not only gave his works a striking realism but also democratized the representation of biblical and historical narratives.

Influences and Lessons

Caravaggio drew inspiration from his Lombard roots and the work of Venetian artists. The Lombard art, known for its naturalistic detail, and the rich color schemes of Venetian painting (particularly the works of Titian and Giorgione) influenced his approach to realism and his masterful use of color.

While he is often seen as breaking with Renaissance ideals, he was deeply influenced by Michelangelo, particularly in his approach to the human form and the use of dramatic postures and anatomical precision. This influence is evident in the robust, sculptural quality of his figures.

Caravaggio was also aware of Northern European artists, such as Albrecht Dürer and Caravaggisti from the Netherlands, whose works were characterized by detailed naturalism and a strong moral narrative. Their attention to texture and light likely influenced Caravaggio’s detailed depictions and dramatic lighting.

Living and working in Rome, Caravaggio was in direct competition with other artists of the time, such as Annibale Carracci, whose classical approach contrasted sharply with Caravaggio’s realism. This environment spurred him to further refine his distinctive style, emphasizing emotional engagement and dramatic realism.

Caravaggio shows us that innovation doesn't always mean discarding the past. He built on the techniques of his predecessors to develop a new style that transformed art. This teaches us the value of understanding and mastering traditional skills as a foundation for innovation. His ability to evoke strong emotions through his paintings underscores the importance of connecting on an emotional level in all forms of art. This emotional connectivity can transform the viewer's experience and foster a deeper engagement with the work.

Despite his turbulent life and the many personal struggles he faced, Caravaggio’s focus on his art remained steadfast. His life reminds us that personal difficulties do not have to define our professional achievements but can be channels for profound expression.

Style Representation

Collectors Corner - Mime, Neil Burnell and Blue Cockatoo

Final Thoughts

I kicked off a little collection on Zora that I’ll be adding to over time, called Lost LP’s. It all started when I was reminded of my dad’s old record collection. He had boxes and boxes of records, all of them with worn covers and many with split seams from how many times the record had been slid in and out. He was always picking up something new on his weekly thrift store visits.

So with that inspiration, the idea’s started to run and I found many albums in the latent space from bands you’ve never heard of. The first one, Red Beak Rhythms by The Avian Groove, is available for the next 4 days as a free mint (pay only gas fees). Check it out if you dig the art and the inspiration 😊 

As always, if you enjoyed this edition I would really appreciate if you shared it. Just hit the share button below. And if you’re not following me on X yet, I’d love to follow you back. I’m also on Warpcast!

On that note, I’ll leave you with a quote as I sit here vibing to some classics from the 80’s:

Enjoy your weekend, friend!

P.S. If you have feedback I’d love to hear it! A reply to this email goes directly to me.

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