The Baroque Era

 The Baroque Era and Caravaggio


The Baroque era was one filled with drama and emotion. The artist really wanted to get that wow factor, they wanted to evoke strong emotions from the viewers often through intense contrasts of light and shadow. What this art really served as was a tool for the Catholic church and various monarchies to communicate power, grandeur and spiritual themes. Michelangelo Merisi Da Caravaggio or just Caravaggio was a major player in this era. Born 29 September 1571, his paintings have been characterized by art critics as combining a realistic observation of the human state, both physical and emotional, with a dramatic use of lighting, which had a formative influence on baroque art. This can be seen in his painting " David with the head of Goliath" 

File:David with the Head of Goliath-Caravaggio (1610).jpg

This painting is dated as early as 1605 and as late as 1609-1610. This painting is currently housed at the Borghese Gallery and museum in Rome, Italy. The original size is approximately 49 in x 40 in and it is  oil on Canvas. The painting was later discovered to be a part of the collection owned by Cardinal Scipione Borghese who was a member and has a large influence with the Catholic Church. 

Although mostly dark or subdued the painting does a great job depicting the blood rushing from the bottom of the separated head, very realistic looking. You can see the fierce attention given to Goliath by David with one large sword in one hand and the head in the other. It brings out emotions and drama especially with Goliath's eyes and mouth still open. David looks almost weak with very little body structure but his facial reaction is intense, almost with him reflecting his moment of victory after a strong battle. The painting itself portrays a biblical scene with a focus on power, victory and the triumph of the underdog. Royalty during this time often appreciated art that depicted themes of power, heroism and divine favor. It could be that many of Caravaggio's paintings were commissioned by Cardinal Borghese as a symbol of the power and divine right to rule religion with the Catholic Church. Although i always feel like the underdog, this is not a picture i would have in my home. I feel it is too dark of an image and I personally enjoy colors like the last supper. Although this painting has been depicting in many different formats by different artists before Caravaggio, I believe he painted it best. 


References:

Borghese Gallery and Museum

"David with the Head of Goliath" Borghese Gallery, 

https://borghese.gallery/collection/paintings/david-with-the-head-of-goliath.html



Caravaggio

"David with the head of Goliath, 1610 by Caravaggio" Caravaggio.org, 

https://www.caravaggio.org/david-with-the-head-of-goliath.jsp







Comments

  1. Honor FraleyMarch 2, 2024 at 12:05 AM

    Hi Carlos! I also chose a Caravaggio painting for my blog post. I admire the way David is portrayed in this painting. Many other paintings and sculptures I have seen of David depict him as a tall, strong man. In this painting he is just a small boy. This makes his seem much more human and relatable. I like how you mentioned that this painting tells the story of the victory of an underdog. The fact that Davis is so small and Goliath's head is so large and fierce-looking really drives this point home.

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  2. LaceyMarch 4, 2024 at 2:00 PM

    Hi Carlos, this painting definitely does have a dramatic effect thanks to the very dark background, which I think is perfect, given the subject matter. I can see why royalty during the Baroque era would appreciate this painting.

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  3. Sawyer ChristiansenMarch 4, 2024 at 5:48 PM

    I like how David's face and emotion is portrayed. Rather than being prideful and celebratory, his face shows a look of disgust. Perhaps he is disgusted because he doesn't like gore, but I think it's rather disgust that Saul never stepped up to defeat Goliath, and so David had to do it himself. His portrayal as a scrawny weakling emphasizes how pitiful Saul is for not doing it himself and emphasizes how unfit he is to rule.

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