Baroque

There are works of art that are unforgettable, not because they are the most famous or spectacular, but because they manage to say everything in a gesture, a glance, a small but significant scene from everyday life. Caravaggio’s “La Buona Ventura” is one such work, and I would like to take you with me to […]

If love is an obstacle course, Guido Reni immortalized it at the perfect moment: when intelligence surpasses speed, when beauty bows to destiny, when Atalanta is about to lose a race because someone had the brilliant idea of throwing an apple on the ground. The painting Atalanta and Hippomenes is one of the most overwhelming […]

Some people are born under a lucky star, and then there is Guido Reni, who painted saints, Madonnas, and even pagans under the stars. A beloved painter in his time (and in ours), the undisputed master of Italian art in the 17th century, Reni is one of those artists who manages to please everyone: lovers […]

Have you ever wondered what secrets lie behind Caravaggio’s The Taking of Christ, one of the most intense and emotionally charged works of Baroque art? Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio, who was born in Milan in 1571 and died in Porto Ercole in 1610, is known for his ability to capture humanity and spirituality in his […]

ANNIBALE CARRACCI AND THE HERRERA CHAPEL FRESCOES Annibale Carracci and the frescoes in the Herrera Chapel have long been considered one of the high points of 17th century art in Rome. Between the 15th and 18th century, the church of San Giacomo degli Spagnoli in Piazza Navona was one of the most representative places for […]

THE ENTOMBMENT OF CHRIST BY CARAVAGGIO: ANALYSIS AND CURIOUS FACTS Caravaggio was said to be a tormented artist who painted works destined to be both admired and criticized at the same time. But not everyone knows that the Entombment of Christ was the only painting that was met with general approval. In this post you’ll […]

THE ALLEGORY OF PAINTING BY VERMEER: DESCRIPTION AND ANALYSIS Do you know The Allegory of Painting by Vermeer ? The artist never parted with this work and his wife didn’t succeed in keeping it with her. The reasons are not clear, but it’s possible to formulate some hypotheses and hold this painting as a heirloom. I had […]

REST ON THE FLIGHT INTO EGYPT BY CARAVAGGIO When was the painting Rest on the Flight into Egypt by Caravaggio made and who commissioned it? It’s certainly one of my favourite works by Michelangelo Merisi and I think that you should admire it at least once in your lifetime, because it’s one of the greatest art masterpieces. In […]

MAGDALENE WITH THE SMOKING FLAME BY GEORGES DE LA TOUR: MEANING AND WHERE TO SEE IT What is the secret that makes Magdalene with the Smoking Flame by Georges de La Tour a charming painting? Certainly the light but also the enveloping darkness, peculiar features of Georges de La Tour’s painting made up of characters lit […]

DAVID BY BERNINI: 5 THINGS TO KNOW When I saw David by Bernini for the first time I didn’t know anything about art history and the artist who carved it. I was a little child and my parents dragged me to the museum housing it, and the statue seemed beautiful to me; rather it reminded me […]

ECSTASY OF SAINT TERESA BY BERNINI: 5 THINGS TO KNOW The Ecstasy of Saint Teresa by Bernini, also known as “Transverberation of Saint Teresa”, is the work than more than others describes the religiousness of the 17th century, made up of mystical experiences which involve both spirit and body. In this post I’ll talk about the […]

THE VAULT OF THE CHURCH OF SAINT IGNATIUS IN ROME AND THE TRIUMPH OF ILLUSIONISTIC PAINTING: 5 THINGS TO KNOW In 1685 Andrea Pozzo, an artist and Jesuit scholar, was commissioned to decorate the vault of the Church of Saint Ignatius in Rome. His optical illusion effects give birth to a decoration that still today […]