Caravaggio: A Genius, A Murderer, A Fugitive

Its difficult to think of any other artist whose life was more steeped in controversy and scandal than Caravaggio (1571-1610), the famous Italian painter of the late 16th, early 17th century. He loved boys, he celebrated mens sensuality, he had a violent temperament, he killed a man in a swordfight, and he spent the last few years of his life on the run. Caravaggio offered a more realistic interpretation of religious scenes in many of his paintings. His dramatically lit figures emerge from a dark background, like actors basking in the spotlight onstage or characters in a gritty film noir.

All that, and more, comes to focus in the new exhibition Caravaggio: Masterpieces from the Galleria Borghese at The Getty Museum, presenting three major paintings by Caravaggio that are on an extremely rare loan from the Galleria Borghese in Rome. Caravaggios life was relatively short he died at the age of 39. These three paintings follow his career from his early years, when he attracted attention by emphasizing realism in his genre scenes and still lifes. In Boy with a Basket of Fruit, you see an attractive young boy holding a remarkably realistic basket of fruit some with early signs of decay.

In Caravaggios mid-career painting of Saint Jerome, we see the Saint as an aging scholar, reading and making notes, his naked body draped in red fabric. The whole scene is lit in a very dramatic, theatrical fashion chiaroscuro a style for which Caravaggio became famous among European artists throughout the 17th century.

The third and last painting by Caravaggio in the exhibition, David with the Head of Goliath, is the most attention-grabbing, thanks to its psychological naturalism, to quote David Gasparotto, Senior Curator of Paintings at The Getty Museum. Out of the darkness come the semi-naked figure of young David, holding in his hand the decapitated head of Goliath. As shocking as this scene is, its even more dramatic when you learn that the face of dead Goliath is a self-portrait of Caravaggio himself.

The expression on his face shows some kind of pain and remorse, which might be attributed to his sense of guilt for the murder Caravaggio committed and for which he was charged, forcing him to be a fugitive toward the end of his life.

After seeing these three masterpieces by Caravaggio, it was particularly intriguing to walk through the Gettys collection of Baroque paintings. Two of them captured my attention, each featuring a decapitated head. In the portrait David with the Head of Goliath by Guido Cagnacci, you see the slightly overdressed David as if he is posing for the 17th century cover of Vanity Fair, with all the attention on him not on Goliath.

And, here is the other show-stopper this time, the head of St. John the Baptist on a platter, with a sword resting next to it. This painting, by Bartolomeo Manfredi, is on loan from a private Los Angeles collection.

So, my friends if all the above piques your curiosity, be sure not only to see these great paintings at The Getty, but also be sure to put Galleria Borghese on your must-see list next time youre in Rome.

Edward Goldman is an art critic and the host of Art Talk, a program on art and culture for NPR affiliate KCRW 89.9 FM. To listen to the complete show and hear Edwards charming Russian accent, click here.

To join Edwards Fine Art of Art Collecting Classes, please visit his website . You can read more about his classes in the New York Times here and in Artillery Magazine .