Caravaggio is one of the most well-known painters in Italian history. But, despite his fame now, his work was extremely controversial at the time he made it. His masterpieces spawned much controversy amongst the authorities and everyday people as they seemed to portray saints as common people in normal settings.
His bold, realistic paintings sparked the imagination of 17th Century Baroque society in Rome, and have held a place in many museums around Italy and beyond ever since. Here are some of the best places to see Caravaggio’s work in Rome.
1. Galleria Borghese
The Galleria Borghese is home to one of the biggest and best collections of Caravaggio’s in the world. It has more than a dozen of the wayward artist’s work on its walls, including the Madonna of the Palafrenieri, and David with the Head of Goliath.
Both paintings caused absolute controversy when the painter first released them. The Madonna of the Palafrenieri showed the virgin’s mother as an aged old woman, while David with the Head of Goliath was used as a plea by Caravaggio to the Papal court to let him stay in Rome after he committed murder.
The gallery houses numerous other masterpieces by world-famous artists, too, and you can explore everything it has to offer on a tour of the Borghese Gallery and its gardens.
2. Vatican Pinoteca
The Vatican Museums are home to hundreds of paintings known all over the world, all of which are displayed in a number of different and distinct galleries and individual museums. The Pinoteca is the place to see Caravaggio’s. Within this particular gallery, you can see the artist’s The Entombment of Christ, which depicts the exact moment Christ’s followers carried his body from the cross to the grave.
And, because the Vatican is such an important part of Italian and Roman history, seeing Caravaggio’s work in this location is a special moment for art lovers.
3. Capitoline Museum
Elsewhere around the city, you can catch a glimpse of Caravaggio’s paintings in the Capitoline Museum. Here, you can witness John the Baptist, Youth with a Ram, which was painted back in 1602. It’s one of Caravaggio’s boldest paintings and it caused a stir with its overt sexual overtones.
Seeing Caravaggio’s paintings in Rome is a must-do for art lovers in the city. As one of the country’s most renowned artists, his paintings are dotted around for all to see. The works that once created so much controversy now offer an insight into a different time in Rome.
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