Michelangelo Merisi de Caravaggio and his artwork (Research Paper Sample)

Michelangelo Merisi de Caravaggio and his artwork
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Baroque art is the artwork associated with the Baroque cultural movement, which is identified with catholic revival and the Counter-Reformation. Baroque art started during 1600 and continued in the entire 17th century and early 18th century. Mariah (2004) explains that religious conflicts, which had started during renaissance with the reformation and Counter-Reformation, occurred until 17th century. The religious conflicts between the Protestants and Catholics had a significant impact on art.
Baroque art was a new form of art happened in a new era of the high renaissance period (Kieran, 2004). Baroque art applied various styles to create stormy, rich decoration, exceedingly emotional, stark lightening, sensual, bursting with energy, strong curves and more dynamic masterpieces. Caravaggio was a product of Baroque art of the high renaissance. He used realistic approach in painting human figures. He painted directly from life experience and dramatically spotlit to create contrast against a dark background. Caravaggio developed a new chapter in the painting history, which amazed his contemporaries. His painting style was easily recognized because the artist emphasized on intense chiaroscuro, co-extensive space and realism.
Caravaggio’s career was promoted when Cardinal Del Monte commissioned him to design artwork in the Cardinal’s court (Borchgrave, 2000). It was a time when Catholic Church created great building artwork as Counter-Reformation efforts and developed decorations and furnishings particularly in countries such as Flanders, Germany, Spain and Italy. Caravaggio painted for the Cardinal and got more connections from rich collectors and patrons in Rome who gave him commissions to paint. His work focused mainly on religious scenes. His artistic composition was more complex and incorporated several characters. The commission Caravaggio obtained from Cardinal Del Monte motivated him to create several religious works with more complex and larger designs.
The conversion on the journey to Damascus is one of the best artwork created by Caravaggio. He designed this masterpiece at the church of Saint Maria de Poppolo in Rome during 1601.The artwork illustrates the biblical scene showing how Saul the Pharisee received his conversion. Jeffrey (2010) says that prior his conversion, Saul’s task was to persecute people who declared themselves as Christians. Saul was on his journey to the city of Damascus to persecute Christians there. As Saul neared Damascus on his way, a sudden light flashed around him. In the painting, Saul is on the ground; he is shocked while his eyes are closed because of the light coming from heaven. He became temporally blind, and his arms suggest needing help.
There are three characters in the picture: an angle, the horse and Saul. Saul is extremely shocked and in fear because Jesus has just talked to him. The mood of the painting is horrific. Saul the Pharisee is unconscious and shocked; he cannot explain what he is experiencing. Saul closed his eyes because he is stunned by the dazzling brightness of God’s light. The streams of God’s light pass down through the white part of the skewbald horse. Concerning space, the artist placed too much happening at the base of the composition. Too many feet cramped together leave alone Saul’s spread arms and discarded sword. Saul is struck by brilliant light and heard the voice of Jesus claiming, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?’ The presence of the horse is important since Saul was using it to journey to Damascus city (Mansfield, 2002). The horse looks at his master wondering what just occurred. Paul, who was proudly driving the horse, is now on the ground. This shows that human aspects are not supernatural. People may plan their actions, but God’s dictate is the final say.
The horse symbolizes power and strength. According to Goldie and Schellekens (2007), riding a horse means pride and Saul was self-assured of his action. The conversion depicted here is a complete inversion, and nobody could expect such a thing to happen. This was a miracle from heaven bringing lightness in darkness of the world. Saul became blind for him to experience the death of senses so that to see the new light from God’s power. The conversion of saint Paul reminds Christians to allow themselves be formed by Jesus. It is death, but it is a way of receiving the resurrection. Jesus did not punish Saul the Pharisee but commissioned him to become one of the apostles. After Saul, the Pharisee experienced the shocking reality; he later claimed to have seen Jesus Christ in a vision. This was a time when Saul became Saint Paul, the apos...