Christ, often viewed as the Man of Sorrows, becomes the symbol of the dramatic chronology of existence, portrayed via the contrast of dark and light that accompanies every human life. The artist conveys his creative view with a strongly autobiographical note, with colors and chiaroscuro heightening the tension and symbolic power of the message. Caravaggio wishes to – like a modern-day cineaste – “invent the truth.” Thus, he stages the Passion of man, which at the same time, becomes the Passion of God upon the daily path of life, and investigates it with enormous emotional power. In this way, he succeeds in transposing the Biblical message into the present day.
The Bible of Caravaggio
Images from the Old and New Testament
Is there a Bible “according to Caravaggio”? Indeed, when the entire oeuvre of the artist is taken into consideration, one discovers a worldly, profoundly human meaning of the Holy Scripture in general and of the Gospel in particular.
