Michelangelo Merisi Da Caravaggio Essay

The history of art has been broken up into different time periods, each unique due to the influences of the time. The Baroque period began in the 1600s where artists such as Caravaggio and Bernini began experimenting with dramatic colors, light and darkness, and dramatics to tell stories. Michelangelo, while contributing to the art scene during the Renaissance period, was a large influence in the creation of the Baroque style. The ever-changing styles of art invent new periods with distinct artists that challenge each other to create stunning works that eventually influence a news style to be born. Michelangelo, a Renaissance artist, was born on March 6, 1475 in Caprese, Italy to a governor of a Florentine outpost and his wife.

In this artwork, the moment of the beheading itself, those things painted are display in a flat stage, emphatically lit from the margin, segregated against the dark, shadowy background. Judith and Abra, who was her maid and stand to the right in the picture, partly over Holofernes, who was susceptible on his back. During the creation, Caravaggio adjusted the position of Holofernes' head as he proceeded, isolating it slightly from the middle and moving it marginally to one side, which was uncovered by X-rays (Bissell, 2005). His mastery of feeling and emotion was demonstrated by the faces of those characters, Judith was specifically appearing in her face a mix of repulsion and determination. Artemisia Gentileschi and other artists were profoundly influenced by this work, and even surpassed Caravaggio's physical authenticity, but it has been contended that none matched his catch of Judith's mental inner conflict (Varriano,

Artemisia Gentileschi was not the first to paint Judith Slaying Holofernes. Her father had painted Judith. Michelangelo, Botticelli and Caravaggio had painted Judith. Donatello had sculpted Judith. But she was the first to interpret the story of Judith, in a time when women had few rights, as an allegory for female dominance. In comparison with other contemporary versions, the composition, dramatic style, and emotions of the characters present a violently feminist view that may have stemmed from Gentileschi's own experiences.

In the year of 1571, Caravaggio was born in Italy. At age 11, Caravaggio was orphaned, luckily he was apprenticed with a painter in Milan. His work became popular when he moved to Rome. Caravaggio's work became popular for the “tenebrism technique he used, which used shadow to emphasize lighter areas” (“Caravaggio”). This painting tells a biblical story about Judith Beheading Holofernes. In the picture, Judith is the women in the middle that is about to behead Holofernes, the man lying on the bed. The reason why she is doing this because she is saving her people from Holofernes. The women on the far left is Judith’s maid waiting for her to behead Holofernes (Judith Beheading Holofernes, 1599 by Caravaggio). Caravaggio used many elements

I had never heard of the artist Artemisia Gentileschi before this introductory Art course. Of all the paintings and sculptures found within the book, it was her work that stood out and spoke to me. "Judith and Maidservant with the head of Holofernes" is a particularly rich oil painting by the Italian Gentileschi, painted circa 1625 Europe. Her large canvas measures 72 and 1/2 inches by 55 and 3/4 inches and began as a biblical story telling inspiration come to life within the oil. Located at the Detroit Institute of Arts, the painting was a gift to the institute from Art collector Mr. Leslie H. Green in 1952. Artemisia was the daughter of a painter (and caravaggio influenced) Orazio Gentileschi, she was also the wife of little known artist

Baroque is a style of art that was influenced by the papacy in Rome, with sculptor and architect Gianlorenzo Bernini behind the rise of the popular period of the style. The view of the Baroque style has changed over time, but during the seventeenth century it was considered as having a dramatic and theatrical essence. Gianlorenzo Bernini was a prodigal architect and sculptor by whom the Roman papacy employed for their empire. He is considered one of the greatest sculptors in the seventeenth century as his many masterpieces have artistically influenced an entire age of an empire. Gianlorenzo Bernini captured the characteristics of the Baroque in his art as he achieved theatrical effects by bringing together various media.

The period of Baroque art was from 1600 to 1750, and relates to the style

Artemisia Gentileschi’s was one of the skilled painters of Baroque era who created a masterpiece of Judith Beheading Holofernes which portrays the biblical character, Judith. Judith, who first seduced Holofernes, then beheaded him with his own sword. She is accompanied by her maid. Maid seems to hold Holofernes with all her strength. Judith has grasped his hair on the beard with her left hand and she is beheading him with her right hand. This piece of art looks very violent to me and blood is all over the white sheets. She took matters into her own hands to keep her community safe from the constant invasion of the city. Assyrian General was Fascinated with her beauty and asked her to dine with him, planning

The artist Artemisia Gentileschi, the year 1598-99, painted on canvas with oil paint. This painting called Judith Beheading Holofernes is know as a baroque painting because of its use of shading the background completely black to draw focus to characters, it also displays a wide variety of emotions. The subject of Judith Beheading Holofernes is simple and is right in the title, it’s about Judith over powering Holofernes, choking him with ribbon and later taking his head off. This is a very powerful statement that can hold meaning even today. Now I do not know much of the history behind this painting

The morbid interest that the brutal illustration arose caused the painting to gain great popularity in its time. Moreover, knowing that the artist was an imitator of life, and considering the violent realism of the work, art historians were led to believe that Caravaggio might have been inspired in personal experiences. Most analysts argue that the violence portrayed in the work was based in the execution of Beatrice Cenci, an Italian noble woman, occurred in Rome on 1599, and during which Caravaggio was present (“Judith Beheading Holofernes”). Though Beatrice could have been the initial inspiration for Caravaggio, the face of Judith was based in one of the artist’s lovers, a well-known prostitute whom Caravaggio used frequently as a model. The name of the girl was Fillide Melandroni, and her face was also used in the works of St Catherine and Martha and Mary Magdalene; (Cuvret

Caravaggio's life started on September 29, 1571 in Italy. His full name is Michelangelo Merisi. He died on July 18, 1610. His death was caused by a bad fever on his way back to Rome. His father was Fermo Merisi. His mother was Lucia Aratori. They both came from the same district. He didn’t have an education, considering he was orphaned. He was never married and had no children, that people knew of. There was really no one who inspired him to make art.

The paintings Caravaggio’s Judith and Holofernes and Artemisia Gentileschi's Judith Decapitating Holofernes (c.1620) were pieces that were painted during the Baroque art period. They are both based on the biblical story about Judith beheading Holofernes. To begin with, the painting by Caravaggio shows Judith recoiling from the gruesome task she is performing. This is emphasized by how delicate she seems to be handling Holofernes.

Throughout the years artists have chosen to portray the same event in the forms of paintings or sculptures, but often, due to the time period and views or values of the artist the interpretations differ and the final products are vastly different. Two primary examples of this are Caravaggio and Gentileschi who are both renowned artists of the Baroque era and style, which encompasses the intensity of the colors, as well as the brutal subject matter that it entails. Figures 17.9 “Judith and Holofernes (c. 1598),” by Caravaggio and figure 17.10 “Judith Decapitating Holofernes (c. 1620)” by Artemisia Gentileschi both illustrate the same biblical story of Judith seducing Holofernes and decapitating him to free the people of his oppressive rule. Caravaggio and Gentileschi pick the precise moment of the decapitation and capture it with brutal realism. These pieces when glanced at have a similar resemblance, but when one looks more deeply their differences are put on display.

It is hard to believe that what began during the Renaissance would be followed by what we refer to as the Baroque period beginning in the 1600’s and later the Rococo. The term Baroque was first used in the eighteenth-century by critics in a negative way. “To the eyes of these critics, who favored the restraint and order of Neoclassicism, the works of Bernini, Borromini, and Pietro da Cortona appeared bizarre, absurd, even diseased—in other words, misshapen, like an imperfect pearl” (Camara, E., n.d. para. 12). Stylistic style differs in the Baroque period with the use of interrupted contours, dynamism, and instability. In addition, artists were moving toward a more realistic subject matter and not the idealized portrayals we saw in the Renaissance period.

Violence and gore are not uncommon themes in art, however, few paintings depict bloodshed and power with such resounding naturalism as Artemisia Gentileschi's work titled "Judith Slaying Holofernes". The work is an oil on canvas completed in the Baroque era sometime between 1614 to 1620, and depicts Judith and her maidservant holding down the struggling Holofernes as Judith pulls a sword through his neck. Gentileschi utilizes a combination of chiaroscuro and diagonal lines to not only create the lifelikeness and drama of the moment, but also to demonstrate the motions of the struggle as well as continually draw the focus back to the goriest part of the scene with the bloody head of Holofernes.