Caravaggio's Masterpieces: Light, Realism, and Spirituality

The Crucifixion of Saint Peter (Second Version)

Caravaggio's increasingly realistic style is evident in his rejection of the first version of The Crucifixion of Saint Peter. In the second version, we see a gloomy scene with Peter crucified upside down, as he requested not to be crucified in the same manner as Christ. Caravaggio uses light to emphasize and focus our attention on Peter, whose body forms a diagonal line. A distinctive red detail, in this case, Peter's feet, draws our gaze. Peter looks at his left hand, while the other figures are turned away from the light, creating a diagonal cross composition.

The painting depicts an infinite space, an absence of light, the purest dark, with figures forming a diagonal cross that connects Peter and another figure. The anatomical studies are impressive. Color and light are used to unite and differentiate the figures. Browns, ochres, and sands are prominent, along with white and red, which Caravaggio used to emphasize key details. He masterfully creates a well-drawn painting.

• Peter's Head: A living figure, he gazes at his nailed hand, full of spiritual pain, loneliness, and great suffering. The old man's weathered face and impressionistic beard, where the color spot is diluted, showcase Caravaggio's mastery of tones and anatomy.
• Feet: The naturalism and realism of Peter's feet, which seem to rest on the table, are striking. One foot is contracted and wrinkled, with the deformation of bones and muscles due to the nail hole. The dirty feet of the crouching figure are reminiscent of the rejected Saint Matthew in the Contarelli Chapel.

Caravaggio's work is influenced by Tintoretto's The Miracle of Saint Mark, particularly in the use of foreshortening to lead the viewer's eye inward diagonally. This technique is also found in Caravaggio's The Conversion of Saint Paul.

The Conversion of Saint Paul

Paul, a persecutor of Christians, was blinded by a light upon arriving in Damascus, which said, "Holy, holy, why do you persecute me?". In the painting, this moment is depicted with Paul bathed in light, as if he has absorbed and is emitting it. This is significant because the horse and other figures are only partially lit, suggesting a larger scene beyond our view, but one that is less important. The strong expression and naturalism convey a sense of ecstasy, a human form coming into contact with the divine.

The Entombment of Christ

Commissioned by the Vitrici family for the church of Santa Maria in Vallicella (home of the Oratorians) in Rome, this work was not rejected and fit the spirit of the Oratory. The light is centered on Christ, although the figure collecting him is also prominent. Starting from Christ's cloth and closing with the female figure, a perfectly marked diagonal is formed. Two women in the background, two weeping Virgins, are identified as Mary Magdalene. The cornerstone in the foreground draws us into the painting.

Christ came to Earth for and by the Church, and for and by us. That is the point, the angle played with his hand, which is used to draw us into the picture. From there, the diagonal leads to the figure that closes the composition.