25-05-2025
Artist Caravaggio's faith shines at churches run by Pope Leo XIV's order and in new exhibit
There's Caravaggio's first religious painting, St. Francis of Assisi, who's depicted in an angel's arms while one of his early companions, Brother Leo, is barely visible in the surrounding darkness.
It's an early example of those "oscuri gagliardi" — a bold darkness, as a 17th century art critic quoted in an exhibit panel put it. "Gagliardo" is a slang word Romans still use today to mean everything from panini to people with a special flair and power.
Two other religious paintings with the same innovative use of light and darkness take a gruesome turn. In Judith Beheading Holofernes, the Jewish hero frowns in seeming disgust at the blood spurting from his neck. In David with the Head of Goliath, the dripping severed head is a self-portrait.
In what's probably the artist's last painting before dying at age 39, and the last exhibited in the new show, Caravaggio also portrayed himself. He's the man peeking, stunned and openmouthed, from the darkness at the soldier who's just shot an arrow into St. Ursula's chest.
More of Caravaggio's religious paintings are in chapels downtown Rome. The Conversion of Saul, an early version of which is in the exhibit, and the Crucifixion of Peter are in Santa Maria del Popolo, also an Augustinian community. Three paintings about St. Matthew are in San Luigi dei Francesi church.
Two blocks away, back at St. Augustine's, pilgrims and tourists continue to flock to see Caravaggio and other artwork. For Cormio, welcoming them is a chance to encourage Augustinian spirituality.
"Augustine also left us this teaching — that through the beauty of creation and the beauty of human works, too, we can capture something of the beauty of God," he said.
