Caravaggio: The Shakespeare of Painting

Let us start with black and red, galactic black and blue-based crimson– void and blood, dead and living. Add to that, intense emotion: horror and ecstasy, revulsion and reverence, debauchery and exultation, violence and grace. Throw in narrative: historical references, biblical tales, political intrigue, relationships, rape, murder, God. And, most importantly, there’s the radiance of pure light: golden, streaming, illuminating. Caravaggio’s paintings have all of this, as if he was touched by the divine while fighting for his life.