Every Friday we take a break from our regular blogging schedule to allow the authors an opportunity to feature a certain topic they are passionate about. In the past you’ve read about art, studying abroad, experiencing culture through food, and the great burger adventure. Through this and other future posts we hope you’ll enjoy reading, we hope to share with you our personalities, passions, and interests on a more personal level.
As part of our continuing desire to bring beauty into focus, From Texas to Beyond will periodically feature brilliant pieces of art that have influenced our lives. We are excited to showcase these universal works of beauty with you.
Today, we begin a two-part miniseries examining the Caravaggio painting from the National Gallery in London. As I mentioned in my first post in the Chasing Caravaggio Series, I am on a quest to view all of Caravaggio’s masterpieces firsthand. Thanks to a short layover at London Heathrow I found three more in the National Gallery.
As Rebekah discussed in her earlier post, The National Gallery owns countless magnificent pieces of art. While on a guided tour of the museum, I caught my first glimpse of the pieces I desired to see the most: all three Caravaggio paintings hung next to each other along a long wall. Once the tour concluded, we backtracked to Room 32.
Boy bitten by a Lizard
Caravaggio’s Boy bitten by a Lizard – Courtesy of Wikipedia
Enjoying the Caravaggio’s one at a time, I first viewed Boy bitten by a Lizard. I had previously seen a later version of Boy bitten by a Lizard (from the Fondazione Roberto Longhi) at the Kimbell Art Museum during a traveling exhibition. Caravaggio’s earlier version was just as good. This painting was one of the first the artist produced after arriving in Rome, sometime between 1595 and 1600. While straightforward at first glance, the piece is full of symbolism. If you listen to most contemporary commentaries on this piece of art, they will mention Caravaggio’s overt interest in young men. After reading more on the artist, it is hard to believe he did not love men. However, he definitely loved women as well. To me, Boy bitten by a Lizard seems to show that something as beautiful as fruit, a symbol of love, may end in unexpected pain, such as a bite from a hidden lizard.
Caravaggio was first employed in the Roman art world as a lowly still life painter. He was paid to create beautiful still life elements in larger paintings by more renowned artists. Take a moment to look at the still life elements included in the work. The fruit and flowers showcase his known abilities. The grapes look delicious! Look closely at the window reflected off the vase’s curved surface. This outstanding little detail brings depth to the scene. By adding the youth to the image, Caravaggio proclaims, “I can paint more than objects. I can paint figures!”
Salome receives the Head of John the Baptist
Caravaggio’s Salome receives the Head of John the Baptist – Courtesy of Wikipedia
The second piece, Salome receives the Head of John the Baptist, was created by Caravaggio from 1607-1610. Towards the end of his career, Caravaggio had perfected his own unique style, Tenebrism. Dramatic illumination set Caravaggio’s subjects in a mixture of bright light and deep shadows. These dark shadows swallow the background, leaving just the bare essentials of a scene for the viewer to contemplate.
In this scene from the New Testament, the executioner presents the head of John the Baptist on a platter to Salome (see Mark 6: 21-28). As a reward for her wonderful dancing, Salome’s mother, Herodias, convinces her to beseech King Herod for John the Baptist’s head. A third figure, possibly Herodias, looks on from the shadows. Notice how Salome holds the tray. She does not touch the platter directly. Instead she uses the white garment, separating the dish and her skin. Caravaggio captures Salome as she looks away from the awful scene. I think her expression reveals disgust and regret. Perhaps she wishes she had not listened to her wicked mother.
Painted near the end of his life, Caravaggio took a personal interest in severed heads, producing multiple works with similar subject matter. As a convicted murderer himself, there was a price on his head, dead or alive. Did Caravaggio see himself when he looked at John the Baptist’s decapitated head?
In the next installment of Chasing Caravaggio, we will focus on Caravaggio’s best piece in The National Gallery, The Supper at Emmaus.
If you are unfamiliar with Caravaggio, click the link for some background on the life of Caravaggio.
For more information on The National Gallery and its permanent collection, see our overview.
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