Art Analysis
Caravaggio (Michele Angelo Merigi) was an Italian painter (1571-1610). He was known for his artistic prowess in creating paintings that were realistic both physically and emotionally. Caravaggio utilized texture, shape, colour and dramatic use of lighting to create paintings that had formative influence locally and globally. In this paper, the focus will be on one of his famous paintings, The Supper at Emmaus. Caravaggio created this painting as a popular theme art in Christianity, the resurrection of Christ as witnessed by several disciples. During this instance, Caravaggio freezes this moment allowing the world to witness a happening miracle, creating a sense of shock and astonishment that was similarly felt by the disciples.
Work of Art Information
The piece of art to be studied in this paper is the Supper at Emmaus. This is a painting why the art master Caravaggio. The painting was finished in the year 1601. The medium use do the painting is oil on Canvas, and the dimensions are 141cm by 196.2cm (56 in by 77.2 in). The current location of the artwork is the National Gallery, London. The painting was originally commissioned and paid for by Ciriaco Mattei who was the brother to the cardinal Girolamo Mattei. The painting is cornered to be one of Caravaggio’s most significant works since it emulates how people can use religion to overcome their obstacles. Don't use plagiarised sources.Get your custom essay just from $11/page
Supper Emmaus was initially displayed in the main gallery for paintings in Milam, Italy. The gallery is one of the most treasured art galleries in Italy since it has the most extensive collection of Italian paintings from some of the best-known artisans globally. The painting was displayed at a time when the cultural era was happening thus has a symbolic meaning to the struggles felt at the time. The gallery’s name Pinacoteca di Brera is also known as Brera Art Gallery is synonymous with the German name called Germanic braida which represents a grassy opening in the city structure. The main officiator of the display was an individual by the name of Parini who showcased the painting alongside other famous artworks like Madonna by Cherubim and Lamentation of Christ by Andrea Mantegna (1480-1485). Currently, the artwork is located in the National Gallery in London. This is an art gallery in the city of Westminster, Central London. The gallery was founded in 1824 and houses a collection of over 2,300 paintings dating back to the mid-13th century to 1900. The gallery is an exempted charity organization that is a non-departmental public body managed by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport.
Formal Analysis
Elements and Principles
Summer at Emmaus is one of the 15th and 16th Italian paintings that are at the core of the National Gallery. Summer at Emmaus has linear features that help explain its significance to the artistry world. From first glance, the painting was originally painted by the use of crayons, pencils and coal. The outer limits of the paintings were dark to signify what the painting was about in the depicted times. There are also dark lines and contours, along with the faces of the characters. In this case, two major characters in the picture include the older man and the lady who seem focused on what Christ was saying. This was explained by Mancini, who tried to explain the meaning of the facial expressions. The uses of contours in a painting are essential since they help portray the emotions of the characters.
Source: https://www.caravaggio.org/supper-at-emmaus-1606.jsp
Another element that can be observed in the portrait is shape and texture. In this case, the faces of the main characters in the portrait: Jesus and four other people have a given meaning as they aim to show how Christ provides orders. In this case, the shape and texture of the posture of Christ are that he is giving a cue since his countenance is no longer eccentric. Christ, in this case, is bearded, indicating that he is not as clear and subtle as depicted on the bible. He is seen giving orders on what seems to be a problem. Also, the delicate shape of a flask containing the symbolic wine is visible but hidden from the public eye. This helps to signify how he can be calm and controlled even when under pressure. The ability to keep calm indicates that also though an individual is under pressure, they do not have to succumb to pressure.
One of the principles that are portrayed in the painting is the ability to remain calm through the use of spiritual prowess. In this case, Christ seems in a specific posture which is symbolic to the principles and behavior he is known for in the bible. In this case, the attitude that Christ has indicates that he has sacred authority. What Cavalier wanted to symbolize in this case was the importance of self-restraint when faced with challenging circumstances. This is further emphasized by the way his hands are tilted, showing his ability to lead. In this case, one of the messages that Cavalier wanted to show how Christ helped push the message of unity and accordance as well as leadership.
Contextual Analysis
Caravaggio, the Italian painter (1571-1610) was born in Milan, Rome, Naples. His father was an architect, and this is one of the primary reasons why his interest in painting grew. In the year 1956, Caravaggio’s family moved to Caravaggio to escape the plague that ravaged Milan. His grandfather died in 1977 who also taught him a few necessary skills in painting. A few years later in 1584, Caravaggio’s mother died as he began his four-year apprenticeship as a Milanese painter. Otherworld artists influenced Caravaggio, for instance, Giorgione, Federico Zuccari, Leonardo and Simone Peterzano. Caravaggio began as a very artist moving to Rome from Milan. Due to his seemingly troublesome childhood, Caravaggio began to paint.
As evidenced above, Caravaggio grew up in a period where people used art to express themselves, which was a natural element in Germany. In this case, Caravaggio’s paintings represented a close observation of reality. However, his message was intended for local and global use, especially considering the troublesome childhood that he had. The paintings that he made reflected a physical and emotional state well represented by the use of lines, shapes, texture and lines. Also, he incorporated the use of dramatic lighting, which he learnt from the Baroque painting. One of the analytical tools that Caravaggio used was the dramatic use of the dramatic aspect of chiaroscuro, which was otherwise called tenebrism. This was a stylistic device incorporated by many artists in the era and used darkening shadows and transfixing subjects. The purpose id such elements were to symbolize scenes and realities that include violent struggles, vivid struggles, torture and death. All in all, the purpose of the painting created by Caravaggio was to pass his message about the vivid childhood he experienced growing up.
Conclusion
As evidenced above, paintings done by Caravaggio were to showcase his childhood memories. To achieve this, he used texture, colours, shapes and contours in his paintings. This paper focused on one of his famous paintings, The Supper at Emmaus. It was a painting that was created in 1606 by Caravaggio showcasing that miracles can happen. In this case, he freezes the moment to capture the anger and shock that the disciples felt upon realizing that Jesus is among them. All in all, he used his paintings like the Supper at Emmaus to showcase realistic images inclusive of physical and emotional stats in the characters.