А. Миньяр-Белоручева - Западноевропейское искусство от Джотто до Рембрандта

Despite his oft-expressed contempt for Renaissance masters, Caravaggio often visually, as if in a vernacular translation, quoted Michelangelo BuonarrotI. Christ points along the beam of light with a strikingly real hand whose gesture repeats that of God the Father in the Creation of Adam . Matthew points to his own breast as if to say, «Who, me?» In this realistic scene happens the triumph of divine love. Christ instils a new soul in Matthew.

In 1601 Caravaggio painted the Conversion of Saint Paul . It was a favourite subject during the Counter-Reformation. This scene was usually shown with a vision of Christ descending from heaven, surrounded by clouds and angels. Against a background of nowhere Saul has fallen from his horse toward us, drastically foreshortened. He hears the words; but his servant hears nothing and looks down at his master unable to account for the light that shines all around and has blinded Saul. In this picture climax reaches the stage of cataclysm.

Caravaggio's paintings were condemned by Bolognese artists and critics in Rome, and some were even refused by the clergy. Nonetheless, a decade after his tragic death Caravaggio's everyday naturalism, his hard pictorial style, his intense light-and-dark contrasts had inspired a host of followers in Rome, Naples, Spain, France, the Netherlands. His revolutionary art must be considered a major factor in the formation of two of the greatest painters in the 17-th century Rembrandt and Velazquez.

Make sure you know how to pronounce the following words:

Caravaggio; Rembrandt; Matthew; Saul; Lombardy; Netherlands

Calling of Saint Matthew – «Призвание апостола Матфея»

Conversion of Saint Paul – «Обращение Савла»

«at the receipt of custom» (Matthew 9:9) – «у сбора пошлин»

I. Read the text. Make sure you understand it. Mark the following statements true or false.

1. Caravaggio's life was happy and eventless.

2. The style of this genius revolutionized European art.

3. Caravaggio never rebelled against convention.

4. The Calling of Saint Matthew is a realistic painting.

5. Saint Paul was pictured drastically foreshortened.

6. Caravaggio's naturalism inspired a great number of followers in Europe.

II. How well have you read? Can you answer the following questions?

1. Where was Caravaggio trained? What society did Caravaggio live in? What was Caravaggio's relationship with authority?

2. How did Caravaggio protest against convention?

3. How did Caravaggio arrange the figures in the Calling of Saint Matthew ? What did Caravaggio deny in this painting?

4. What was Caravaggio's attitude to the Renaissance masters? How did Caravaggio quote Michelangelo in the Calling of Saint Matthew ? What was the source of this quotation?

5. What was the favourite subject during the Counter-Reformation? How did Caravaggio picture it? Did Caravaggio paint Saul against a background of nowhere? Was it Caravaggio's greatest achievement? What were his other achievements?

6. How were Caravaggio's paintings treated by artists and critics during his life-time? Did this attitude change after his death?

III. I. Give Russian equivalents of the following phrases:

a background of nowhere; a hard, firm style; light-and-dark contrasts; pictorial style; drastically foreshortened; a long-life rebel; conventional people; to represent religious scenes in terms of daily life; an unruly genius; to obtain a commission; scenes from smb's life; to represent an event in the soul-stirring way; a background object; to deny the existence of; the realistic scene; Venetian colourism; to quote; gaudily dressed youths; a vernacular translation; the beam of light; to instil a new soul; to descend from heaven; an unidentified source of light; Renaissance masters.

II. Give English equivalents of the following phrases:

изображать религиозный сюжет как повседневное событие; луч света; обыватели; венецианский колоризм; перевод на народный язык; вдохнуть новую душу; тяжелый, жесткий стиль; цитирование; изобразительный стиль; свет без указания источника; заказчики отказывались от картин; ниспровергать классические традиции художников Ренессанса; спустя десятилетие; излюбленный сюжет; божественная любовь; нейтральный фон; единственный различимый предмет на заднем плане; реалистические сцены; новаторское искусство.

III. Make up sentences of your own with the given phrases.

IV. Here are descriptions of some of Caravaggio 's works of art. Match them up to the given titles.

1. Christ points along the beam of light with a strikingly real hand whose gesture repeats that of God the Father in the Creation of Adam .

2. Against a background of nowhere he has fallen from his horse toward us, drastically foreshortened.

a. Conversion of Saint Paul

b. Calling of Saint Matthew

V. Translate the text into English.

Микеланджело Меризи, известный как Караваджо, дал название реалистическому течению в искусстве, которое нашло последователей во всей Западной Европе. Караваджо брал темы из окружающей действительности. Реалистические принципы сделали Караваджо наследником Ренессанса, даже несмотря на то, что он часто выражал свое презрение к великим художникам Ренессанса. Караваджо утверждал принципы реалистического искусства, бросив вызов общепринятым нормам. Картины на религиозные сюжеты он писал как жанровые. Герои произведений Караваджо — картежники, гадалки, авантюристы. Их изображениями Караваджо положил начало бытовой живописи. Караваджо накладывал краску широкими мазками, выхватывая из мрака светом наиболее важные части композиции. Эта контрастность световых пятен создавала атмосферу внутреннего драматизма. Герои Караваджо помещены в простую обстановку. Иногда произведения Караваджо были настолько реалистичны, что заказчики отказывались от них. Искусство Караваджо породило истинных последователей его художественного метода, получившего название «караваджизма».

VI. Summarize the text.

VII. Topics for discussion.

1. Caravaggio's style and characters.

2. Caravaggio's mode of life and work.

3. Caravaggio's artistic legacy.

Nicolas Poussin is the embodiment of the Classical spirit. His paintings are the product not only of great imagination and pictorial skill but also of a discipline and control that grew firmer as the painter aged. Born in the small town in Normandy, Poussin went to Paris in his late adolescence. He had access to the royal collection of paintings where he was impressed by the works of Raphael and Titian, and to the royal library where he studied engravings after Raphael. After two trips to Italy, Poussin settled down in Rome in 1624. It was unlikely that he would ever enjoy official success. The world of nobles, popes, and monarchs was not for him. Poussin made only one large altarpiece for St. Peter's, and was dissatisfied with it.