Renaissance
The Lute Player, by Caravaggio
About the artist:
Caravaggio was born in 1571, and not much is known of his childhood. He was born in very unstable times -- full of conflict, fighting, and the bubonic plague -- and was orphaned at age 11. His traumatic childhood is often pointed to when trying to explain some of the choices he made in his adult life. Author Andrew Graham-Dixon of Caravaggio: A Life Sacred and Profane, wrote: "It's almost like he cannot avoid transgressing. As soon as he's welcomed by authority, welcomed by the pope, welcomed by the Knights of Malta, he has to do something to screw it up. It's almost like a fatal flaw." In 1595, Caravaggio decided to sell the art he had been making with his childhood friends through a dealer. His art caught the eye of diplomat and art-lover Cardinal Francesco del Monte, who offered Caravaggio a room to stay in and commissioned him many times. This caught the attention of many people, which led to larger commissions for churches later on. For pleasure, Caravaggio painted many young boys posed as angels and saints. His art stirred up conflict in the church many times, seeing as many of his religious paintings feature beggars, prostitutes, and thieves. Later in Caravaggio’s life, he turned to drinking and gambling, and was subject to many mood swings. He engaged in many fights, one even causing him to serve a short prison sentence. In 1606, Caravaggio murdered a well known Roman man named Ranuccio Tomassoni, and fled Rome. He stayed as a refugee with Mario Minniti for a few years -- an apprentice of Caravaggio’s, and the subject of many of his paintings. Historians question Caravaggio’s relationship with Minniti, and some speculate that they were more intimate than previously thought while Minniti apprenticed for him. Caravaggio passed in 1610 while returning to Rome, having to flee every city and town he come to out of fear of being found, or to evade other problems.
About the painting:
The painting -- like many others form its time -- feature a plethora of symbolism to represent the story of Jesus Christ. While some of Caravaggio’s more popular paintings very clearly depict Christ in a unique and somewhat controversial sense, The Lute Player leaves the viewer to find hidden meaning on their own. An intense realist, Caravaggio only used fruits and flowers that would all be in season at the same time. These props aren’t the focus of the painting, but are the major symbols of the entire painting. Each fruit to the left of the subject as its own meaning, and fruits alone were already viewed as a symbol of Christ at the time. The orange represents the righteousness of the Lord, seeing how the orange tree does not lose its leaves each year. The figs were commonly used to show the cross and resurrection, and show God's mercy. The plum -- depending on the colour -- is used as a symbol of loyalty. The pear is used as a more direct comment on God's love, seeing how the pear is soft and sweet. Iris in the vase represents peace and the coming of Christ. The rose is commonly associated with virgin Mary and passion. Jasmine is meant to show love and forgiveness, and its colour -- white -- shows innocence and purity, even today. The daisies symbolize the childhood of Christ, and Madonna wanting to give the baby Jesus flower in the winter, found nothing, and made it from very white silk. Lastly, the wild rose, which is a reference to Jesus’s crown of thorns. Religious symbolism aside, the painting was commissioned by Cardinal Francesco del Monte, and was bought by Russian emperor Alexander I in the early 1800s. The painting was thought to be of a young woman for centuries, until it was further examined. Examiners found that the two props in the painting, the violin and the lute, were associated with masculinity in Caravaggio’s era, not to mention the subjects flat chest, which is clearly visible. As well, the subject is seen in many other Caravaggio paintings -- “Boy with a basket of fruit,” panel “Musicians”, “The Lute-Player”, “Boy bitten by a lizard,” “The Calling of St. Matthew”, and more. The subject is identified as Mario Minniti, Caravaggio’s apprentice and model. This painting is part of the reason so many question Caravaggio’s sexuality. That and the fact that he never married, never painted a female nude, and was accused of having a relationship with a male prostitute. Many of his paintings depicted young boys with full-faces, androgynous features, and a uniqueness that Caravaggio strived for in all his paintings. The crumpled paper, bruised fruit, and cracked lute, all emphasize the painters search for realism, and his skill is seen in the excellently foreshortened lute. The viewer can look at the painting and feel it is a genuine scenario. All the fruit and flowers were in season at the same time and the sheet music shows an actual song written by Jacques Arcadelt, create a snapshot of life in a painting. Caravaggio used dramatic lighting to create depth and realistic features in his paintings, as well as to make the subject stand out from the background.
What did the renaissance do for art?
The renaissance was a period between the 14th and 17th centuries, and is a burst of culture, politics and discovery. It started with the boom of exploration, trade, and even war. The constant invasion of land by Romans caused not only and empire to spread, but for cultures to mix. It essentially had a snowball effect -- changing anything and everything. The Black Death had just ended, and millions of people were dead. However tragic this was, it left the survivors very wealthy, as those who lived through the sickness inherited the majority of their families wealth, and wages rose due to supply and demand. As people spent their newfound money, many decided that they would spend their fortune on art. However, in this new burst of discovery, people no longer looked on the surface, for something that would look good in there home, but instead for something intellectual and complicated. Light and anatomy was studied, artists dedicated themselves to perspective, all in an attempt to capture the world on a canvas as realistically as they could. Painters strived to push boundaries, all on the foundation that humanity, for as long as we know, has wanted to preserve and document time in an image. These paintings were created in larger masses as more was discovered. America was found and the human body was no longer a mystery. Paintings like The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Nicolaes Tulp by Rembrandt captured these moments, and many others tried to do the same. The Renaissance inspired artists, and drove them to push the boundaries of what they can do.
SOURCES:
https://www.biography.com/people/caravaggio-9237777
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/art/london-culture/renaissance-changed-the-world/
https://www.wga.hu/html_m/c/caravagg/01/091lute.html
https://www.caravaggiogallery.com/the-lute-player.aspx
http://vsemart.com/symbols-of-lute-player-by-caravaggio/