Caravaggio - Out of the Shadows and Into the Painting

Young Sick Bacchus by Caravaggio

Portrait painting has been a staple of the medium since pigment and brush first met. It has long been a tradition of artists to capture there own likeness and place it on a canvas. This long and esteemed tradition was largely driven by commissioned work which has given way to other mediums. Today portrait artist has largely been replaced by photographers and camcorders. Commissioned portrait artists today will often be found sketching in the mall, or drawing pictures of suspects from a victim's description. Yet portraits and self portraits are still a favorite topic among artists. Self portraits are a particular favorite, in part because the model seldom complains. Some great artists of the past would often insert their image into their paintings. Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio, 1571-1610, was one such artist.

A classic Caravaggio can easily be recognized by the dramatic light. The range of light is filled with contrast, the composition bathed in bright and dark with very few middle tones. It is a dramatic lightening that easily captures the attention and directs the eye to the action. It is formally know as Tenebrism, the spectacular disparity of light and dark. Caravaggio's shadow's are nearly featureless, creating a negative space that makes the subject explode off the canvas. His paintings are also noted for their emotional realism.