Caravaggio in the United Kingdom
I recently had the privilege to travel to Dublin and London. I’d never been to either of these places, so my mind was filled with endless possibilities: I’m going to wear suit of armor while eating fish and chips. I’m going to fight Jason Statham and celebrate my victory by saying “Oy bruv, Texas is tougha than it looks innit?” What actually happened is that I went to a couple museums. They’re free here!
Three paintings by the same artist struck me as important. Caravaggio has been a favorite artist of mine since I read his biography in college. He’s an Italian Renaissance painter famous for using chiaroscuro, or contrasting light and dark, in religious settings. I knew several of his paintings were in Dublin and London museums, so I went on the hunt. Here are some thoughts from my time with each painting:
Boy Bitten by a Lizard, 1594 – 1596
National Gallery, London
Caravaggio practices portraiture on a young boy, bitten by a lizard. The boy is pale, with a smooth unaged face. I know what you’re thinking – “Look at this nerd. How you gon’ get your finger snatched up by one scaly boi.” But let’s face it. We were all this kid. We all started as shiny, hesitant, jumpy weirdos with uncontrollable hair. As we grew up, the occasional lizard bit us out of nowhere.
Supper at Emmeas, 1601
National Gallery, London
Caravaggio paints the Supper at Emmaus, after Jesus is resurrected and reveals himself to his disciples. Their outstretched arms and raised eyebrows show their surprise. Only the figure standing directly above Jesus does not show surprise. Who is this person? Caravaggio painted his self-portrait here. Caravaggio himself seems resigned, even upset. Renaissance paintings also typically depicted Christ with a halo above his head. Here we have the opposite. Caravaggio’s body casts a dark shadow where the bright halo historically belongs. Caravaggio hides a secular theme among the religious. To add to it all, we have two genres of painting here. The table shows a still life, usually painted by beginners to learn the trade. The scene depicts a religious scene, typical of Renaissance commissions. The multiple genres represent an accumulation of knowledge for Caravaggio.
Life goes on. As we’re bitten my more and more lizards, we become more skeptical about the world. The accumulation of our knowledge from our life enables us to show things in a new way. We’ve grown from innocent, pale young children to skeptical and resigned. But wait, there is hope!
The Taking of Christ, 1602
National Gallery of Ireland, Dublin
A year after Supper at Emmaus, Caravaggio painted The Taking of Christ. Caravaggio paints a dark painting, with only two faces illuminated. The face on the far right again is a self-portrait of Caravaggio, whose hand is holding a lantern to scene. It’s poised as if it’s holding a paint brush, but is holding a lantern instead. He is bringing light to the scene.
The painting is a violent one, with hands sticking out of every corner. We have Judas’ betraying hand, the soldier’s choking hand, the disciple’s fearful hand and Jesus’ submissive hands. The hands show skepticism again, but Jesus’ submissive hands put the skepticism into perspective. Yes, the world is violent but the illuminated figure knows violence isn’t a good response.
I stood in front of this painting on May 18, 2019 with a tear or two in my eye. On the same day 9 years earlier, I had my first back surgery. In the recovery process, my mom taught me about selfless love. I hurt myself one night when I stayed out late—against her instructions—and yet she stayed up day and night with me. She cleaned me while I laid helpless in a bed. When I think about the submissive hands of Jesus, ready for the cross, I think about my mom’s hands as she washed my hair over the edge of a hospital bed.
I don’t know what Caravaggio’s personal journey was, but it probably wasn’t the one I described. His paintings reminded me of my own experiences. I don’t think the timing was a coincidence. If you find yourself with a skepticism or a dark outlook on life, look forward. The lantern of a friend will lead you to the hands of hope.
