Reflection 4

Yesterday was our Caravaggio day, so we presented on various paintings, then went around Rome to see them in person. My favorite painting was The Calling of St. Matthew. It was his first public commission, in 1599/1600. Seeing it in person was so much more inspiring than seeing a picture online had been, and the details were much clearer. It was easier to see Jesus' hand pointing towards Matthew, calling him to his side. I liked the fact that we are not sure which person is actually Matthew, even though the signs throughout the church all shower the man pointing in the middle as Matthew. I think the ambiguity adds meaning to the painting, because it invokes the idea that anyone could be called to Jesus at any time. He was just an ordinary tax collector, and was suddenly called to the church. It was also cool to see all three of Carravaggio's paintings of St. Matthew (his calling, his inspiration, and his martyrdom) hanging together, because it essentially showed his path to heaven and sainthood. One thing I thought was unusual was that all of the men sitting at the table were wearing clothes that were from Carravaggio's time period. That is definitely not what Matthew would have been wearing. However, Jesus and Peter are wearing clothes from the biblical era. I wonder why Carravaggio chose to make this distinction. 

I thought the format of this day was helpful for really understanding these pieces. Being able to talk about each painting and the process Carravaggio went through to get each one where it is today. Are it more special to see them in person. I also found it interesting how so many of his masterpieces were second or third editions. When the church didn't like what he had done, they made him paint a new one or cover up the old one. I can't imagine what his reaction must have been each time they told him to do it again. But like we saw from Michelango's movie, you don't really say no to the church. I wish they would have let him keep the originals, because they showed regular people, not holy saints. We learned in lecture that Carravaggio liked to use ordinary people and the drama of life on the streets as his models, which is more what you can see in his originals. But it does make sense that the church would want the saints portrayed in a more dignified manner.