The Death of the Virgin
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 was a scene depicting the death of the Virgin Mary. She was dressed in a simple red dress, without her elegant blue robe. When I first saw this piece, I didn’t recognize her. This depiction didn’t carry the traditional characteristics of a painting of the Virgin Mary. Upon further research, I learned that Caravaggio captured the scenes of his paintings through a realistic lens. He would use common people to pose as his models in his paintings, which undoubtedly spurred criticism, especially when the piece depicted a religious figure (Schütze, pp. 19-20). Instead of creating luxurious depictions of religion, he chose to show a raw, realistic portrayal of an event and its subjects.
Caravaggio, M. (1601-1606) ‘The Death of the Virgin’. Rome, Italy: Caravaggio.
The painting is beautifully crafted, and Caravaggio’s skill in form, value, and color is evident throughout the scene. The Virgin Mary lies dead with a thin halo around her head, surrounded by a grieving crowd. Beside the Virgin Mary is a girl, assumed to be a maid who was helping to nurse her, judging by the bucket and towel placed at her feet. Around her are the apostles, their hands are carefully painted to express sadness. The form is realistic and natural; the fabric is carefully draped, and the subjects are covered in shadow to emphasize the misery of the scene. The Virgin Mary nearly blends in she is not projecting light as how she would in a traditional depiction, but instead, the light above her bounces off her skin and creates an angelic glow.
With the same source of light, it creates sharp contrasts between the figures and projects shadows to the floor and space around them, further giving depth and emotion to the scene. The realistic colors applied to the apostles' robes, and the drapery around the Virgin Mary focus on the texture and the way the fabric drapes according to the light. The usage of these warm flesh tones against cool, shadowed areas creates a sense of realism and human fragility. The Virgin Mary's dress is a graceful red without her usual blue robe symbolizing her purity and royalty. The color red is associated with both the earthly and the divine in religious paintings. Neither bright nor dominating, it helps to show the quiet dignity of the scene. The Virgin Mary died loved, and this piece perfectly depicted the tragic and unforgiving nature of death.
Works Cited
Marking Caravaggio’s death on July 18: A ‘troubled’ but brilliant artist (2023) Marking Caravaggio’s death on July 18: A ‘troubled’ but brilliant artist –– Minneapolis Institute of Art. Available at: https://new.artsmia.org/stories/marking-caravaggios-death-on-june-18-a-troubled-but-brilliant-artist (Accessed: 03 February 2025).
The National Gallery, L. (2016) Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio, Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio (1571 - 1610) | National Gallery, London. Available at: https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/artists/michelangelo-merisi-da-caravaggio (Accessed: 02 February 2025).
Schütze, S. and Caravaggio, M.M. da (2021) Caravaggio: The complete works. Cologne: Taschen.
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I also strongly agree that the lighting really helps add to the sharp contrast of the painting. You’re right about the colors helping give a realistic texture to Mary’s drapery, as well as the apostles robes. I do like your association with the color, red being a divine and earthly color and how it conveys that in this painting as well.
ReplyDeleteI really appreciate you pointing out how the light over Mary is not traditional and actually almost overlooks her, something like you said she's being depicted very unconventional for the time. Everything you said about the colors and tones matches so well I feel like I actually see the painting to it's true depth now. I really enjoyed your post!
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading your blog describing the Death of the Virgin by Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio. Your introduction about Michelangelo was very informative. You had some interesting facts that I am sure not many people realized. As I read your description of the painting, I found myself scrolling back up to the painting to try to visualize the painting as you had. I loved the way you analyzed the picture and how you were able to verbalize what you saw in the picture. Overall, you did a great job describing the scene and the use of color.
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