Caravaggio & Rembrandt - Studies in Light

Over the Christmas break, I was lucky enough to visit two exhibitions celebrating the work of Baroque masters Caravaggio at the Co-Cathedral of St. John in Valletta and Rembrandt at Dulwich Picture Gallery.

I would not normally feel compelled to write about a gallery visit, but both exhibitions made a deep impression, leaving me to feel privileged to go into 2020 working in an industry where creativity, lighting, and artistry are valued and respected.

I am not for a minute comparing our work to these masters but it is inspiring to think that as a studio we can look back over 400 years and find works which provide the benchmark for artists today, in terms of drama, lighting and evoking emotive responses, in fields from sketching to cinematography.

My understanding of fine art is very limited, so forgive me, but it felt quite confirmatory to know that both artists were great exponents of chiarosrucro – the dramatic contrasts of light and shadow to describe form.

Carravagio - The Calling of Saint Matthew

Confirmatory because in both cases, I was struck with the power of the lighting and shadow immediately. Neither artist is attempting to be subtle, but instead appear to use lighting (as opposed to the subject alone) to reach out and grab the viewer by the collar, to tell stories and to excite our senses. 

Understanding how the virtuosos achieved this on a technical level is something else, but you do not need to study Art History to feel its impact and as a student of visualisation, we can do worse than attempt to learn from masters past.

Rembrandt - The Denial of St Peter

Rembrandt and Caravaggio both suffered immense tragedy and violence in their lives, from deaths in the family to murder committed by the later. They used their unique life experience, channeling into their art in vivid and visceral works such as Caravaggio’s - Judith Beheading Holofernes below.

Sharing your experience, connecting with your audience and making the viewer or listener empathize is an immense challenge, but one which I think is at the core of any art form or medium. Done successfully, art becomes timeless and if you can find the time, I encourage you to go see for yourself – Dulwich might be the easier route.