Both loved and hated by his peers, doomed to almost two centuries of oblivion and rediscovered only around the middle of 18th century, Caravaggio is now considered one of the most important painters all over the world, among the founders of baroque and forerunner of modern painting. He lived in Naples twice, during a troubled period of his life when a death sentence for murder loomed on him. Today the city hosts three of his most important artworks.

 

The Seven Works of Mercy

Pio Monte della Misericordia,

Via Toledo n° 243

This canvas dates back to 1606, when Caravaggio lived in Naples for the first time, thanks to the Colonna family’s kindness. It’s a huge oil painting that overturns classical iconography. The seven acts of mercy were usually represented in seven different scenes. Caravaggio instead portrays them all at the same time, in the lower part of the canvas, while the upper part is dedicated to the Virgin, inserted at the buyer’s request. The Mother of Mercy was a beloved figure that usually occupied, alone, the middle of paintings. Here instead she’s off center, accompanied by angels and by Baby Jesus.

 

The action is complex and agitated. There isn’t a true focus for the narration and the whole scene is defined by a strong chiaroscuro which emphasizes the divine light as a representation of Grace and, indeed, of Mercy.  It is noteworthy that all the characters are portrayed as common people. Caravaggio didn’t believe in the formal charity of upper classes, but only in the spontaneous generosity of people towards other people.

 

This painting became fundamental for Neapolitan baroque.  From Caravaggio the artists working in the following decades learnt the visual and emotional intensity, the strong naturalism and the extreme expressiveness.

 

The gallery opens from Monday to Saturday, from 9:00 to 18:00 and on Sunday from 9:00 to 14:30; the ticket costs 7€.

 

The Flagellation of Christ

Capodimonte Museum, in via Miano n°2

This painting probably dates back to Caravaggio's first trip to Naples. It is an oil on canvas of monumental proportions, originally destined to the Church of San Domenico Maggiore. It is based on a painting on the same subject by Sebastiano del Piombo.

 

The iconography here is classic, with Christ at the column and his three torturers around him. What is new is that Jesus already wears the thorn crown which according to tradition, was put on him only after the flagellation.

 

The light, which for Caravaggio always means salvation, shines fully on Christ, as if it came from the solid, chiseled mass of his own body. His persecutors arise from a deep, dark shadow, but they are at least partially lit by it. It’s a symbol of Christian mercy and of the strength of absolution.

 

The painting is housed in the  Capodimonte Museum, in via Miano n°2, easily reached from the Historical Center thanks to the Capodimonte Shuttle, leaving every hour from Trieste e Trento square.

 

The museum opens every day from 8:30 to 19:30 but is closed on Wednesdays. The ticket costs 8€.

 

 

The Martyrdom of Saint Ursula

Palazzo Zevallos in via Toledo n° 185

 

Caravaggio lived in Naples a second time, starting in 1609. This is the only work remaining from that time and is his last painting. It was made for the Genoese banker Marcantonio Doria, whose family believed to be blessed from Saint Ursula.

 

In this case Caravaggio entirely alters the classic iconography to the point that for his peers, the subject wasn’t immediately recognisable. According to legend, Saint Ursula traveled with eleven thousand virgins to Cologne, where the chief of the Huns besieging the city fell in love with her. When she rejected his advances, he killed her with an arrow. In this haunting depiction, Caravaggio places the two figures improbably close to each other, maximizing the contrast between their expressions: Ursula’s perplexed gaze at the agent of her martyrdom; the tyrant’s conflicted reactions of rage and guilt. Caravaggio includes himself as a spectator, straining for a glimpse, while another figure thrusts his hand forward in an abortive effort to prevent the saint’s execution. The exaggerated contrasts between dark and light seem not merely a dramatic device but a symbolic allusion to sin and redemption, death and life.

 

As in the previous paintings, the chromatic contrast is strong, but here it looks like Caravaggio gave more room to the dark tones which add more drama to the scene. According to some critics this choice also proves that Caravaggio himself was going through difficult times. He had been sentenced to death and was in the process of obtaining clemency. He left Naples in such a hurry that on the day of his departure the canvas had not even dried. Caravaggio didn’t make it on time to get the Pope’s mercy. He died while traveling, in circumstances that as of today are still not entirely clear.

 

The Palazzo is open Tuesday to Friday, from 10:00 to 18:00 and Sat/Sun from 10:00 to 20:00.
The ticket costs 5€.