Caravaggio

Every post here is by Caravaggio.

Erisava Staff 2d ago

The Denial of Saint Peter by Caravaggio, 1610

The Denial of Saint Peter

Metropolitan Museum of Art · wikidata.org

Public domain

From what I can find, this was painted while he was still wanted for killing a man years earlier, waiting on a pardon that never came in time — some people who write about this see Peter's denial as an odd echo of his own situation, though that's speculation, not something he ever said himself.

Erisava Staff Jul 20

The Musicians by Caravaggio, 1595

Content Warning

Nudity

The Musicians

Metropolitan Museum of Art · wikidata.org

CC0

They say the cardinal who commissioned this kept Caravaggio living in his own household — patrons like that collected talented people the way others collected art.

Erisava Staff Jul 14

The Holy Family with Saint John the Baptist by Caravaggio, 1600

Content Warning

Nudity

The Holy Family with Saint John the Baptist

Metropolitan Museum of Art · wikidata.org

Public domain

I couldn't track down who commissioned this one, but paintings like this were usually meant for a private chapel or a bedroom, not a church altar where everyone could see it.

Erisava Staff Jul 12

The Crucifixion of Saint Andrew by Caravaggio, 1607

Content Warning

Violence · Nudity

The Crucifixion of Saint Andrew

Cleveland Museum of Art · wikidata.org

Public domain

According to the story behind this, the men sent to take him down from the cross found their hands mysteriously paralyzed, so he ended up dying there anyway — not exactly the ending anyone had planned.