My Explorations in Art

The Rise of the Merchant Classes Caravaggio is mostly known for his eccentric behavior, criminal history, and beautiful works of art ( Schütze ). This is the second Caravaggio painting I will be covering, and if you can’t already tell, I absolutely adore how he captures these scenes within an image. It’s intimate and human, yet at the same time, beautiful and raw in its depiction. Caravaggio shows a group of youths playing musical instruments, a theme that represents the increasing fascination of the arts in the late 16th century ( Schütze ). The rise of the merchant class was instrumental in shaping the art world at this time. Merchants, bankers, and sponsors from the new middle class started ordering works, not only for religious use but also for personal enjoyment. The painting shows a band of musicians, a favorite among the new merchant class who enjoyed and patronized the arts as a way of cultural expression. This was a departure from more conventional religious paintings that h...

The Artist Michelangelo Buonarroti was the very embodiment of the Italian Renaissance, praised for his artistic and architectural achievements (Gilbert). His pieces, like the statues of " David " , "The Pietà," and the Sistine Chapel ceiling frescoes, were the very essence of the humanist values of the time, emphasizing human beauty and potential. Not only did they advance and encourage artistic innovations, but they also emphasized the Renaissance for personal accomplishment and self-expression (Gilbert). While Michelangelo's art was mostly Christian, his beautiful portrayal of the human body and emotion contributed to humanism philosophy and art (Vowles). His realistic renderings of biblical heroes and actions gave religious art a new feeling, making the stories more available to the public and emotionally appealing to the viewer. This shift in artistic representation came in the wake of the Reformation's demand for an individual and intimate relationship...

The Artist Violent but remarkable, Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio had a distinct painting style that matched his controversial lifestyle. It was dramatic, realistic, and certainly ahead of its time. He was speculated to be born on September 29, 1571, on the feast day of Saint Michael the archangel . He lived a tragic life, from surviving the plague and witnessing the death of his family members, what he experienced would eventually shape a majority of his pieces (Schütze, pp. 25-26) . Despite being one of the greatest Baroque painters in history, he was known to have a negative reputation. He had been arrested and carried a list of crimes, one including murder and another for throwing a plate of artichokes at a waiter (The National Gallery, 2016) . However, this did not prevent him from winning over commissioners through his impactful and captivating works of art. The Painting Caravaggio has greatly influenced my view on art and values. One of the first paintings I saw from him wa...