Since 2008 there has been a remarked resurgence in the interest of Caravaggio’s art with a series of high-profile exhibitions all over the world. Now it’s time for Milan to step in and give its own contribution. From March 11 onwards visitors will have the unique opportunity to get a deep insight into Caravaggio’s world and the Italian masters who majorly influenced his art; from Giorgione and Titian to Tintoretto and Lorenzo Lotto, the exhibition, curated by Vittorio Sgarbi and taking place at the Museo Diocesano, will put on display more than 60 works. Don’t miss it!

‘Gli occhi di Caravaggio’. Milan to host Gli occhi di Caravaggio exhibition

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2010 is the year of Caravaggio in Italy, as the 400th anniversary of the famous Italian painter’s death is celebrated. The Caravaggio exhibition in Rome was a huge success and this time the Caravaggio fever is moving to Milan, virtually speaking.

Until February 13th 2011 it will be possible to visit a virtual exhibition in Milan of Caravaggio’s work at the Palazzo della Ragione. 65 works are on display and via an interactive show, it’s possible to see them despite pieces of Caravaggio’s art scattered around the world in 25 different cities.

Obviously it’s not the same as seeing the “real thing” but in a year when Caravaggio’s work is being celebrated not only for the annivesary, but also its relevance to an Italy struggling through a shadowy modern era, it’s still a good way of enjoying the experience.

The Palazzo della Ragione is in Piazza Mercanti 1, and the exhibition is open from 2:30 to 7:30 pm Mondays, 9:30am to 7:30pm Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. Thursday and Saturday is late opening hours from 9:30 in the morning to 10:30 in the evening. Tickets cost nine euros.

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A new Caravaggio painting may have been found; according to art historian Silvia Danesi Squarzina, Caravaggio painted a portrait of Saint Augustine which ended up in a private collection abroad. While delving into the Giustiniani archives - she told reporters - she came across a document which bore the title of this forgotten masterpiece painted in 1600; with this important document in her hands, the art historian succeeded in tracking down the lost Caravaggio! It goes without saying that further analyses are required before it can be attributed for certain to the Italian master!

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After news of a possible discover of a new Caravaggio painting - “San Lorenzo” - the painting has been determined not to be of Caravaggio origin. The ‘Martirio di San Lorenzo’ was originally reported by the Vatican newspaper, Osservatore Romano, as possibly being by Caravaggio, but the newspaper has since revealed that this is most likely not be the case.

The head of the Vatican Museums, Antonio Paolucci, has stated that the Saint Lawrence work is most likely a copy of an original Caravaggio. The Italians are describing the affair as an example of Caravaggio-mania in a year in which the country is celebrating the 400th anniversary of the painter’s death.

Paolucci has stated that the painting in question, a depiction of the martyrdom of Saint Lawrence on a gridiron, is a work of modest quality by flawed painting techniques. It doesn’t show the quality of a true Caravaggio and the statements confirm the doubts of Maurizio Marini, Caravaggio expert, on the authenticity of the painting when it was first found. According to reports, Saint Lawrence was not a subject that would have been known to Caravaggio.

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2010 has been a great year for Caravaggio’s admirers! The artist who changed the art world for good has been celebrated throughout the world with a series of major exhibitions which attracted thousands and thousands of people. Now to round off such a splendid year, the town of Porto Ercole in Tuscany (here Caravaggio died on a beach, though the cause of his death was never ascertained. Suggested causes have ranged from sudden fever to syphilis) has organised a new fascinating exhibition called Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio, chiudere la vita and dedicated to his last days. For the first time visitors will have the unique opportunity to get a closer look at the remains of this innovative artist who was also famous for leading a dissolute life; a dissolute life of street brawls, affairs with prostitutes and even murder. The exhibition curated by Valeria Merlini and Daniela Stortinella will run until August 18.

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The remains of Italian painter Caravaggio have been found in a cemetery at Porto Ercole, in Grosseto. Via carbon dating and metal tests to determine the possible presence of lead and mercury residue (commonly used by painters), scientists are 85 percent sure that the bones identified by them are those of the 16-17th century artist.

It was believed that Caravaggio was buried in the Porto Ercole cemetery in 1610, so carbon dating has been used to determine the age of the bones. Known as Caravaggio, the artist was, in fact, Michelangelo Merisi by name and so scientists started with the Merisi names in the cemetery. Caravaggio is considered the ‘maestro’ of the school of Baroque art and his remains have been found just a few weeks before the 400th anniversary of his death (July 18, 1610).

Recently, an exhibition of his work in Rome had record crowd numbers attend and in an article in the New York Times, art historian Philip Sohm poses the question whether this “Michelangelo” Caravaggio has become more popular than the Michelangelo of the Renaissance. With this timely find of the remains of Caravaggio, Baroque is back in the spotlight.

Source | Il Messaggero

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After Rome, another Italian city, Florence, will celebrate the 400th anniversary of Caravaggio ‘s death with an interesting exhibition called Caravaggio e Caravaggeschi The exhibition, which will take place at the famous Palazzo Pitti and Uffizi Gallery from 22 May to 17 October, features more than 100 paintings and a series of documents (with new attributions) that will cause a stir in the art world!

The Grand Dukes of Tuscany were all great art collectors and bought several Caravaggio’s paintings, including The Bacchus and the Medusa; moreover the presence of important artists - in the city such as Artemisia Gentileschi, Battistello Caracciolo and Theodoor Rombouts, and the direct dealings with artists like Gerrit Honthorst, Bartolomeo Manfredi and Jusepe Ribera gave rise to an intense Caravaggesque “season” which left an extraordinary number of paintings at the court and in the city that after Rome still today boasts the largest collection of Caravaggesque paintings in the world (source: Un anno d’arte)!

Foto | Flickr

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Rome played an important role in Caravaggio ‘s art and in order to celebrate the 400 anniversary of his death, the eternal city has organised, besides the major exhibition taking place at the Scuderie del Quirinale (we had the chance to write about it a few weeks ago) a series of events which will give people the opportunity to get a deeper insight into the life and art of this extraordinary artist who changed art for ever. Caravaggio led a wild life, with a behaviour sometimes bordering on insanity and this initiative called Sulle Orme di Caravaggio will take you on amazing journey into a perilous and fascinating life. The Caravaggio tour include visits to Santa Maria della Consolazione, Piazza Ponte Sant’Angelo, Piazza della Chiesa Nuova, Sant’Agostino and Santa Maria della Scala in the Trastevere district (for this very church Caravaggio painted the famous Death of the Virgin which was then rejected as unfit by the parish).

By the way, you can also get the Caravaggio card; with it visitors get discounts and free admissions and remember that all visits start on April 10. For more information write to: centroguideroma@gmail.com, tel. 06 6390409, mob. 335 6591023)

Painting I bari, on loan from Kimbell Art Museum in Fort Worth (Texas)

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According to the New Yok times and Philip Sohm, an art historian at the University of Toronto, Caravaggio has surpassed Michelangelo in popularity and this has not only been proved by a spate of essays and writings which have recently been dedicated to him and his art, but also by the turnout of people who every year visit art-exhibitions and museums in which his works are on display! This, of course, doesn’t mean that Michelangelo has gone down the memory hole (his popularity is still running high), but to people Caravaggio, with all his contradictions, faults and antiheroes, looks far more real and convincing - his art does know how to reach out and touch people.

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In order to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Caravaggio’s death, an extraordinary exhibition will take place at the Scuderie del Quirinale from 19th February to 13th June. Something that, if you love art, you can‘t afford to miss; the show features such amazing masterpieces as Bacchus on loan from the Uffizi, The Musicians from the Metropolitan, Amor Vincit Omnia from Berlin and The Lute Player from the Hermitage. According to the curators, the exhibition aims to explore the secret inner world of this tormented genius who changed the course of painting!

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Milan is a city holding its breath for the 2015 Expo when the event will hopefully breathe some new life into a city that often struggles to have its cultural qualifications recognised. The Brera district of Milan is truly beautiful, and may house an ambitious museum project for the city to rival that of the Louvre in Paris.

The Pinacoteca di Brera may expand to include the Accademia and the carabinieri police station, as reported by Milano Finanza, creating one of Europe’s largest museums. The management of the museum would be subject to a foundation in which private investment is also welcome.

While the Pinacoteca di Brera may not be quite at the level of the il Louvre, it still hosts some important artworks including works from Canaletto, Caravaggio and Modigliani. Could we see a campaign for the return of the Mona Lisa to italy?!

Photos | Ainet, Paul McGowan, Ranopamas and Booleansplit from Flickr

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Thanks to Jessica and her blog, we have discovered two amazing street artists and, believe me, they’d got talent! Take a look at our photo gallery and I’m sure you will agree with me! With only a box of coloured stick chalk, the two young artists from Apulia painted Caravaggio‘s masterpiece “The Calling of Saint Matthew” on the square in front of the Church of San Carlo al Corso in Rome. Unfortunately a sudden burst of rain washed it away, leaving behind only a scintillating dash of colour! We all know that street art is a transient but fascinating form of art - one moment and then it’s gone! For further information on the two artists go to their website!

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