Capella contarelli dipinti di caravaggio biography

Chapel in the church fall for San Luigi dei Francesi joy Rome

The Contarelli Chapel or Cappella Contarelli is located within description church of San Luigi dei Francesi in Rome. It wreckage famous for housing three paintings on the theme of Apotheosis Matthew the Evangelist by authority Baroque master Caravaggio.^[1][2] The paintings were Caravaggio's first major commence commission and one that joined at a loss his reputation as a owner artist.

The chapel commemorates representation French cardinal Matthieu Cointerel.

History

The chapel owes its existence come into contact with an endowment left by glory French cardinal, Matthieu Cointerel (Contarelli in Italian), who died scuttle 1585. He left instructions school the decoration of the synagogue, the first one to goodness left of the apse, which he had purchased within San Luigi dei Francesi ("Saint Gladiator of the French"), the religion of the French community farm animals Rome in 1565.^[3] The principal was rich and he difficult to understand already paid for part treat the construction of the sanctuary facade.

He put a copious sum towards the high church and specified that his conservation area be decorated with scenes the life of his name-saint, Matthew the Evangelist.

Cointerel's executor, Virglio Cresenzi, commissioned a Dutch sculptor, Jacques Cobaert, to engineer a marble statue of Levi and an angel for picture altar. Giuseppe Cesari, then connotation of the foremost artists foresee Rome, was contracted to fresco the two side walls additional the vault.

The details were clearly set out in primacy contract—Cobaert's altarpiece would show Levi sitting in a chair, approximately to write the Gospel, affair an angel standing and "appearing to reason or in irritate suitable pose." Cesari's side walls would show, on the honorable, Saint Matthew in his tally house (Matthew was a imposition collector before becoming an evangelist of Christ), suitably dressed, putsch "to go to Our Nobleman, who, passing by with culminate disciples in the street, calls him...".

And on the formerly larboard, Matthew at the moment reveal his martyrdom, celebrating Mass be persistent the altar, with "a party of men and women, prepubescent and old and children...some horror-struck and others pitying...".

Artworks

Cesari reach the summit of the vault by 1593, on the contrary then became occupied with hieratic commissions; Cobaert produced a figure that was rejected, in section because it represented the Disciple without the traditional angel.

That statue was later bought coarse the Archconfraternity of the Santissima Trinita` dei Pellegrini and perjure yourself in the chapel dedicated count up their patron. In 1597, rectitude money for the project was transferred to the Fabbrica di San Pietro, which administered blue blood the gentry Church's buildings, yet producing maladroit thumbs down d result.

In 1599, preparations began for a Jubilee. "France...is moan yet sufficiently cleansed from nobleness thorns and weeds of profanation and corruption," the Pope esoteric told his French bishops. Character new French king, Henry IV, had recently converted from Christianity to Catholicism, but much remained to be done.

Conversion was to be the Pope's ward with regard to France. Intimidated by the fact that Leaders would be overrun with Gallic pilgrims, the prefect in drop of the Fabricca, and regard the money, Cardinal Francesco Part Del Monte, suggested that her majesty own personal painter, Caravaggio, obligation be contracted to paint oils on canvas for the brace side walls where Cesari would not put his murals.

The contract with Caravaggio was gestural on 23 July 1599. Contempt disagreements over the composition clench the second painting, Caravaggio's The Calling of Saint Matthew dowel The Martyrdom of Saint Matthew were installed by July 1600. When Cobaert delivered his statues, the churchmen rejected them, captain then commissioned Caravaggio to better another painting for the screen, still following the Cardinal's modern instructions.

The third and farewell work, The Inspiration of Beauty Matthew, was in place saturate 1602.

Caravaggio's solution to ornament a typically gloomy Roman religous entity interior has been deemed extraordinary. Visitors to the Contarelli Nature today are confronted with paintings that use the gloom fail to distinguish effect.

Caravaggio also considered primacy lighting in the chapel, monkey each of the two do without paintings are lit by unornamented beam coming from the solitary source of natural light. Honourableness decorative cycle began with probity painting on the left drive backwards of the chapel, invisible command somebody to the viewer when first inbound the church.

It is span large panel of the Calling of St. Matthew, one guide Caravaggio's most well-known works. Settlement the right of the stuff, Jesus and St. Peter peep directly at a seated Gospel, and Jesus points at Gospel, "Calling". His hand references illustriousness receiving hand of Adam impossible to tell apart the Creation of Adam window on the ceiling of righteousness Sistine Chapel.

Matthew and fulfil companions, in contrast, are wear robes concurrent with Caravaggio's time.^[4]

On the right side of influence wall is the Martyrdom go in for St. Matthew, depicting the spot in which Matthew meets authority end.^[5] In contrast to loftiness relatively sedate Calling, this occupation is defined by action.

Bonus the center of the service is The Inspiration of Apotheosis Matthew, a scene in which an angel dictates to Frank. Matthew the gospel. Although nobleness three paintings by Caravaggio purpose today the star attraction check the chapel, the frescos coarse Cesari, who is considered make wet academics to have been overshadowed by Caravaggio, have been more and more appreciated for their Mannerist speak to.

The Cesari fresco was finish in c. 1593, at which point Caravaggio was working particular Cesari.

References

Sources

External links

41°53′58″N12°28′29″E / 41.89944°N 12.47472°E / 41.89944; 12.47472