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Caravaggio’s 5 Most Controversial Paintings

A deep dive into the rebel artist

Kay Kirti
The Collector
5 min readFeb 20, 2023

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Caravaggio was born in Milan.

In his early twenties, he travelled to Rome, where he was offered many art commissions from affluent patrons.

Unlike other artists who employed idealism in their paintings, Caravaggio preferred naturalism and used live models to create unprecedented psychological drama and realism in his works.

It is no surprise that his art often stirred up controversy, as breaking conventional norms tends to do.

In this article, we will delve into five of Caravaggio’s most controversial artworks.

1. Crucifixion of Saint Peter (1601)

Crucifixion of Saint Peter

I wrote an article titled The Secret Behind Paintings With Dirty Feet a while back.

Caravaggio was known for his exceptional ability to depict realism in his paintings, regardless of whether his subjects were God, a saint, or an ordinary man.

His painting of Saint Peter is a perfect example of this, where he portrays him as an average person rather than a glorified saint.

The painting shows Saint Peter on an upside-down cross, not in the typical crucifixion pose of Jesus. The nails hammered into Peter’s hands and legs…

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The Collector
The Collector

Published in The Collector

Understand through art, history and culture the dynamics of politics and how to empower feminism, racial equality, and gender rights

Kay Kirti
Kay Kirti

Written by Kay Kirti

Art and life enthusiast. I engage with art at a deep level. I love to document my life experiences. Mama to Yoda 🐕 and Rumi 👨‍👧‍👶

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