Caravaggio

by Rossella Vodret

Scala, Milano. Stephan. Blanchard. 85 reproductions 81 of which are in full color Caravaggio was such a forcefully innovative painter that his mark remained deeply impressed on the entire course of Western painting. Beginning to work in the early 1590s, the works illustrated in this collection reveal his life and the context in which he painted. The text of the book serves a catalogue as well as gives a history and the significance of each work. This little book is a fantastic glimpse into the character of this artist and the creation of his masterpieces.

Genres: Art, Art History

80 pages, Paperback

First published October 31, 2010

Reviews

[Michael Finocchiaro · Rating 5 out of 5]

I gave this one five stars because (1) Vodret is one of the greatest Caravaggio experts in the world having curated the Inside Caravaggio expo at the Palazzo Réale in Milano in 2018. (2) the painting reproductions are very well done, paper not too glossy, and detailed zooms are great (3) although I was confused by a Caravaggio I saw in Rouen that isn't referenced here, all the essays and the texts for each paintings are great summaries of the stories told by the images and the provenance and history of the paintings themselves. (4)
Finally, I loved the format of having the explanation at the left and the painting on the right and the chronological view of all his works because you see him evolving as an artist. So, in 4 nutshells, that why I gave it a "5"

[Casey · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was fine. The images weren't always sharp but in fairness the darkness of Caravaggio's works would certainly make reproduction a challenge. The text was too "factual" for me - dates, who commissioned, who owned.... Who cares? I wanted to know more about the works themselves. But still a good overview.

[Hale Andrews · Rating 2 out of 5]

Great photos, very uneven and sometimes contradictory text.

[El Fischer · Rating 4 out of 5]

You cooked babe! You cooked!

[Thorlakur · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is in many ways an excellent catalogue, listing all works that can be firmly attributed to Caravaggio and giving detailed analysis on each canvas, including provenance. But, in the light of how much work has gone into this work, it is truly baffling why so little attention was given to the reproduction of works. The printing of this book has been very shoddily done, a sad thing indeed when dealing with one of the greatest painters of all time.

[Mary Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a pretty good book with nice full-color pictures and detail shots of Caravaggio's work. With each painting there is a little summary of the provenance, as well as a few paragraphs detailing the significance of the work. The writing is kind of bland but not intolerable, definitely worth a look if you're interested in a Caravaggio study.

[Alyssa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Caravaggio. This book was awesome.