Into the Light: Caravaggio

Caravaggio - St John the Baptist - 1610 - Oil on canvas, 159 x 124 cm - Galleria Borghese, Rome (click photo for larger image)Caravaggio - St John the Baptist (detail) - 1610 - Oil on canvas, 159 x 124 cm - Galleria Borghese, Rome (click photo for larger image)Italian painter Caravaggio (born Michelangelo Merisi) (1571-1610) developed the revolutionary technique of tenebrism (the dramatic, selective illumination of form out of deep shadow). It would become a hallmark of Baroque painting, although Caravaggio’s approach was far removed from what would become the Baroque. Scorning the traditional idealized interpretation of religious subjects, Caravaggio took his models from the streets and painted them realistically—causing a quite a sensation and challenging traditional expectations. The painting featured here shows St. John the Baptist as soberly thoughtful. The body is delicate and the expression is dreamy. The saint is also quite young, which represents a departure from many other interpretations of him.