Caravaggio!

So last night we went to the Scuderie del Quirinale for the Caravaggio exhibit.
The exhibit was to mark the 400th anniversary of the death of the great baroque artist (Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio) who has even been hailed as "the father of modern painting"! He was even considered "the most famous painter in Rome!
The exhibit featured showing 24 major works by Caravaggio - the most ever compiled in a single place!
It was so interesting to learn that he painted many of is works within MONTHS of eachother - they're all so beautiful it seems impossible.

I think his most famous paintings are Ragazzo con Canestro di Frutta (Boy with the Fruit Basket) and Canestra di Frutta (Fruit Basket). - What I found most amazing is that in Canestra di Frutta, the basket is meant to symbolize the wife of Jesus Christ, and the fruit - which is starting to decay (the leaves are dry and the apple is worm eaten" - that symbolizes that "all things decay" - scholars imply that the basket represents the Church, and that it represents its offer of humanity to all of mankind.
Pretty cool.

Some of my other favorites were Amor Vincit Omnia (Love Triumphant), and Conversione di Saulo (The Conversion of Saint Paul).
Its so amazing how he used light to portray emotion in his paintings.
I also learned that during a tennis match he accidentally killed his opponent and was given the death penalty!!
He then left Rome and travelled Napoli, Sicily, and even Malta!

The exhibit left me with a desire to learn much more about Caravaggio and his masterpieces.
It is one experience I would put on my Top Ten in Italy - it was only 7,50 E for the exhibit - one I will most likely attend again.