ARTH 001Q. First-Year Seminar: Caravaggio Revisited: Criminal, Rogue, or Genius?

Arguably one of the most notorious artists in history, Caravaggio (c.1571-1610) was both revered and denigrated by his contemporaries in Europe. The painter’s innovative naturalism and expressive use of light and shadow secured his place among the greatest talents of the seventeenth century. Yet his irascible nature, purported sexual libertinism, and criminal activities earned him a reputation as the ultimate bad-boy of art history. This romantic notion of Caravaggio as a rogue genius has been bolstered by anecdotal biographies and sensational accounts written by contemporaries and later promulgated by modern art historians. In this course we will reexamine Caravaggio’s legendary persona and his career as a painter, placing the artist and his revolutionary style into accurate historical context.
Humanities.
Catalog chapter: Art and Art History: Art History
Department website: http://www.swarthmore.edu/art

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