"Saint John the Baptist in the Wilderness", 1604-1605
This painting at the NA Museum in Kansas City caused me to gasp as soon as I walked into the gallery and spotted it. I made a beeline to it to get a closer look and read the details. I did not instantly recognize it as a Caravaggio, but I should have. I know that Professor Counterlight would have. What a beauty!
The contrast of the light and shadow is superb, with the eyes and the background shaded and the torso, the arms, and one leg in the light. Then, there's the striking dark slash across the torso from the shadow of the arm and the contrast of the luscious red of the cloak. This is a pensive, cleaned up John the Baptist, groomed with a colorful and elegant cloak, if not much else. Even looking at the reproduction causes me to catch my breath. For me, seeing the painting was an encounter with the living God.
Below is a Rembrandt at the NA. I thank Rembrandt for my spiritual awakening to art. When I was in my early 30s, I visited the Metropolitan Museum in New York. When I walked into one of the galleries which is hung almost entirely with Rembrandt paintings, I was stunned breathless. I walked around the gallery in a trance, bewitched by the power of the paintings. I have viewed art differently since that day. Seeing art that I love is intense for me. It feeds my spirit.
With Rembrandt, it's the play of light and shadow that captivates me, with the intense focus of light on the faces of the subjects of the paintings, with perhaps part of the clothing or another object or two highlighted and the rest of the painting in shadow of various dark colors to black. Rembrandt is gifted in his ability to capture character in the expression on the faces of his subjects.
Oh, my! I'm reliving my visit to the museum and getting excited all over again. Just look at the John the Baptist!
Rembrandt Harmensz. van Rijn, Dutch, 1606-1669, b. Leiden, Netherlands
"Portrait of a Young Man", 1666
Images from the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art.
I remember that Caravaggio very well. It's a treasure and the Nelson is very lucky to have it.
ReplyDeleteIn my art student days, we used to switch off the gallery lights when the guard wasn't looking because it looked so much better in the natural light coming in the windows. As i remember, the electric lights used to glare off the shiny varnish in those days.
Counterlight, it is absolutely stunning. I didn't notice a lot of glare on the painting. Maybe the lighting is better now, or perhaps I'm quick to move to a position where the glare is not a problem.
ReplyDeleteWhen I visited the museum in the past, I went with my sister, usually to see a special exhibit. I wonder if I've ever seen the painting before last week. I doubt it, because I believe I would have remembered it, if I had.
I'm so glad you got in some museum time as you clearly are moved by and enjoy art. Thanks for sharing some with us!
ReplyDeletePaul, I walked and stood until my feet and legs were in pain, but it was worth it. Wait until you see my Henry Moore pictures. He is another of my favorites. I will bore you to death with those, because the museum owns many of his sculptures. This type of post is pure pleasure and self indulgence for me.
ReplyDelete