Artist: A look at Caravaggio

Have you ever seen a Caravaggio at a museum or a gallery (probably in Italy)?

The New York Times "Postcards" looks at the "Madonna di Loreto" in Rome,

Madonna di Loreto, Rome (via Wikipedia

but one of the paintings that had me enthralled was in a museum in Sicily.

Seppellimento di Santa Lucia" cm 408x300, Museo Nazionale Palazzo Bellomo, Siracusa

 

 

It was Christmas 2004, and M and I spent nearly a month in Sicily.  Of the many towns, hamlets, and cities we visited, I think it was Siracusa that remains my favourite.  Every memory I have of the days and evenings we spent there are engraved on my eyelids.

It is also a special time in Siracusa (Syracuse) when the town/city celebrates Santa Lucia.  It was cold that day, and raining lightly, but still the entire populace came out to either walk in the parade through the main street, or to watch on the sidelines.  M and I did, too.

It was magnificent.

Lucia is carried through the streets and after the parade is over, the entire town celebrates with good food and fine wine.  And we did, too.  We went to a local restaurant and met with only the friendliest revelers, all of whom, bought us vino, and desserts.

The pensione we stayed at was terrific, on the ground floor with a beautiful outdoor paved garden and reasonably priced, even in Euros.

But it is the sea and the art that stays with me and keeps me going back to Sicily, if not in reality, in my imagination.  And Caravaggio's work, in person, the brush strokes, the depth of field, the realism, is perfect and near life-sized.