Lent 4 - Tuesday - Caravaggio and The Church

Text: Mark 8:1-10 (see below)

Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio (September 1571 – July 1610) was one of the most revolutionary figures in European art at the end of the sixteenth century. Some have even called him the “Picasso” of his day. For a man who lived only to the age of 38, Caravaggio’s life was full and tempestuous. He was trained in Milan and moved to Rome in his early twenties. A copy of his work The Cardsharps was purchased by a Cardinal of the Church in Rome who invited Caravaggio to live in the ecclesiastical palace. Cardinal Francesco Maria del Monte also assisted in promoting the artist’s work. This was Caravaggio’s first Church commission which was an important step in securing his artistic future.

Caravaggio had a reputation of painting figures, biblical figures to be precise, in contemporary dress. While this was not a new idea at the time, Caravaggio was so good at what he did that it caused a sensation. The master artist brought his figures right to the edge of the canvass and then employed the dramatic use of light to enhance the portraits impact. It was this technique that first drew me to Caravaggio’s paintings and has made me a devoted fan.

The biblical paintings of Caravaggio indeed open the scriptures for me in ways that many other works of art do not. There are two paintings in particular that I wish to draw our attention to. The first is “The Taking of Christ” which I write about today. I saw this painting for the first time in 2003 on a trip to Ireland. The painting, which was completed in 1602, hangs in the National Gallery in Dublin. It is a huge canvas. The image is breathtaking. But the painting has a strange and unusual story.

A Roman nobleman by the name of Ciriaco Mattei first purchased the painting from Caravaggio in January of 1602 for the sum of 125 scudi, (what we would call “lira” today). Over the course of the centuries, the painting disappeared and like Caravaggio became a footnote in annals of art history. Jump ahead to April of 1921 to an auction house in Edinburgh, Scotland. A canvas entitled “The Taking of Christ” and attributed to a Dutch painter is sold at auction for a mere eight guineas. The painting vanishes again until the year 1990, when the original was found in the residence of the Society of Jesus, a Jesuit Order, in Dublin. After careful and meticulous restoration, the painting is now on indefinite loan at the National Gallery of Ireland from the Jesuit Community.

Take a moment and look at the painting carefully. What do you see?

There are seven figures in this painting. It took me quite awhile to find the third solider, but he is there on the far right behind the man with the lantern. Notice how Jesus, Judas, and John are pushed to the far right of the painting leaving most of the canvas for the soldiers. Notice how their armor reflects and absorbs the limited light that Caravaggio uses in the scene.

“Caravaggio presents the scene as if it were a frozen moment, to which the over-crowded composition and violent gestures contribute dramatic impact. This is further intensified by the strong lighting, which focuses attention on the expressions of the foreground figures. The contrasting faces of Jesus and Judas, both placed against the blood-red drapery in the background, imbue the painting with great psychological depth” (National Gallery of Ireland).

Judas has always intrigued me in this painting for as he finishes with his kiss, he seems to be looking beyond Jesus. What has captured his attention in this chaotic scene? While his hands reveal a firm grasp on his Galilean Master, his eyes seem cold and distant to me. What was he thinking at the moment? What do you and I think about after we betray Jesus in our own time and day?

Who is the man to the far right holding the lantern? Most scholars agree that it is a self portrait of Caravaggio. The painter appears in many of his works and this canvas is no exception. He is holding the only source of light in the painting. What does this mean? Is the artist symbolically illuminating the scene for us? Look at the expression on his face – most inquisitive. Like all of us, did he wish to get a good look at this Jesus whom he had heard so much about? Was he puzzled that Jesus put up no resistance to the Roman authorities? That would certainly be contrary to much of the actions taken by Caravaggio in his own life.

To the far left is a man obviously in terror and great fear. Who is he? Caravaggio gives us some important clues. Follow the man’s cape and notice who has a hold of this man’s clothing – the soldiers. Could this man be John, the beloved disciple? There is that bizarre mention of this moment in Mark 14:51: “And a young man followed Jesus with nothing on but a linen cloth about his body; and they seized him, but he left the linen cloth and ran away naked.” Does this story of Jesus’ betrayal terrorize me? Am I fearful as I look upon this canvas? Why?

Finally there is Jesus. The description from the National Gallery describes the Anointed One more eloquently than anything I could write: “Christ accepts his fate with humility, his hands clasped in a gesture of faith, while the soldiers move in to capture him. At the center of the composition, the first soldier’s cold shining armor contrasts with the vulnerability of the defenseless Christ. He offers no resistance, but gives in to his persecutors’ harsh and unjust treatment, his anguish conveyed by his furrowed brow and down-turned eyes. The image would have encouraged viewers to follow Christ’s example, to place forgiveness before revenge, and to engage in spiritual rather than physical combat” (National Gallery of Ireland).

Am I ready to follow Jesus? Will I place forgiveness before revenge? Will I engage in spiritual rather than physical combat? Do I have the faith to truly follow the Master?

I remember my time in the National Gallery in Ireland as if it was yesterday. I stayed in that gallery gazing upon this painting for more than an hour completely lost in the wonder of it all. Here is an excellent example of how art contributes and enhances the biblical narrative engaging one to go more deeply into one’s faith as I did on that day in Dublin.

Tomorrow I will share with you the other Caravaggio painting. I hope I will have the pleasure of your company. Until then….

Love One Another – Brian

Painted From Life

Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio

All works, no matter what or by whom painted, are nothing but bagatelles and childish trifles... unless they are made and painted from life, and there can be nothing... better than to follow nature.

Source: ArtInThePicture.com

Mark 8:1-10

At about this same time he again found himself with a hungry crowd on his hands. He called his disciples together and said, "This crowd is breaking my heart. They have stuck with me for three days, and now they have nothing to eat. If I send them home hungry, they'll faint along the way—some of them have come a long distance." His disciples responded, "What do you expect us to do about it? Buy food out here in the desert?" He asked, "How much bread do you have?" "Seven loaves," they said. So Jesus told the crowd to sit down on the ground. After giving thanks, he took the seven bread loaves, broke them into pieces, and gave them to his disciples so they could hand them out to the crowd. They also had a few fish. He pronounced a blessing over the fish and told his disciples to hand them out as well. The crowd ate its fill. Seven sacks of leftovers were collected. There were well over four thousand at the meal. Then he sent them home. He himself went straight to the boat with his disciples and set out for Dalmanoutha.