Caravaggio: An Impossible Exhibit

joe phelan · January 17th, 2006, 03:35 PM

One of the stories I forgot to highlight a few weeks ago was the Caravaggio exhibit currently in Chicago at Loyola University Museum of Art. The show is subtiled "An Impossible Exhibit" because a real exhibit of this artists complete works would have to bring together almost sixty canvases and altarpieces from museums all over Europe and churches all over Italy and elsewhere. The last time a museum tried to do this was the Metropolitan in New York in the eighties and they couldn't bring it off. This exhibit consists of life sized digital reproductions of the works illuminated from overhead and by backlights.

The show originated in Italy where it was a big hit but it is considered too controversial by curators in the United States. Not I should emphasize because of Carravaggio's pictures but because they are reproductions. So your only chance to see it may be in Chicago where it closes in mid February.
http://www.luc.edu/luma/ To learn more about the show check out the website http://www.caravaggio.rai.it/index_en.htm

ozric9 · 03:51 AM

John · January 19th, 2006, 01:56 AM

I think this is a superb idea, although I suppose it can't escape being ironic -- more about the circumstances of the exhibition, the type of photographic and printing processes used, the nature of observation, the fetishistic value of an original art treasure, etc., than it is about Caravaggio.

I'm very impressed by the website as well. They seem to have his complete works online in excellent reproduction. The only problem is that it uses that "zoom-in" interface rather than simply showing you a large image.

The bottom line for me is that, for the vast majority of people, great photographs of Caravaggio's paintings could be just as effective for the purposes of enjoyment and education as the originals. And of course it gives the audience access to works they might never otherwise see in their lifetimes, plus it gives museums vast flexibility in curating new shows. Of course that opinion isn't surprising, seeing as I run an art site whose main purpose is to facilitate access to the online collections of art museums worldwide.

ozric9 · 03:51 AM

mountshang · January 31st, 2006, 03:42 PM

It's good for museums to break the taboo against reproductions -- maybe someday they'll break the taboo against acknowledged copies.

BTW -- I've seen this exhibit -- and the back-lit reproductions are terrible -- a seriously bad omen for this brand new, Jesuit art museum. (for which I had such high and desperate hopes -- since a very good museum, the Terra, about 4 blocks south, was recently shuttered by its board of directors )

John · February 1st, 2006, 12:00 PM

What was the problem? Were the photographs not up to scratch, or did the lighting effect not work, or was the overall effect too flat?

mountshang · February 2nd, 2006, 03:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by John

What was the problem? Were the photographs not up to scratch, or did the lighting effect not work, or was the overall effect too flat?

The images were printed on transparencies and then back lit --- washing out
most of the half tones, both the lighter and the darker ones.

So all volume and space collapsed -- the things were painful to see.

To add to the misery --- apparently their press was not large enough to handle the entire paintings -- so smaller sections were printed and then cobbled together into window-frames, criss-crossed by one-inch, black, divider bars.

A total -- complete -- disaster --- throwing the darkest cloud over the visual competence of everyone involved.

(sorry to be so emotional -- but I love Caravaggio -- and long so much to see him)

January 17th, 2006, 03:35 PM	#1
joe phelan Editor Join Date: Dec 2005 Posts: 55	Caravaggio: An Impossible Exhibit One of the stories I forgot to highlight a few weeks ago was the Caravaggio exhibit currently in Chicago at Loyola University Museum of Art. The show is subtiled "An Impossible Exhibit" because a real exhibit of this artists complete works would have to bring together almost sixty canvases and altarpieces from museums all over Europe and churches all over Italy and elsewhere. The last time a museum tried to do this was the Metropolitan in New York in the eighties and they couldn't bring it off. This exhibit consists of life sized digital reproductions of the works illuminated from overhead and by backlights. The show originated in Italy where it was a big hit but it is considered too controversial by curators in the United States. Not I should emphasize because of Carravaggio's pictures but because they are reproductions. So your only chance to see it may be in Chicago where it closes in mid February. http://www.luc.edu/luma/ To learn more about the show check out the website http://www.caravaggio.rai.it/index_en.htm

January 18th, 2006, 02:13 PM	#2
ozric9 Junior Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 14	. Last edited by ozric9 : November 19th, 2006 at 03:51 AM.

January 19th, 2006, 05:38 AM	#4
ozric9 Junior Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 14	. Last edited by ozric9 : November 19th, 2006 at 03:51 AM.

January 31st, 2006, 03:42 PM	#5
mountshang Junior Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: chicago Posts: 5	good news and bad news It's good for museums to break the taboo against reproductions -- maybe someday they'll break the taboo against acknowledged copies. BTW -- I've seen this exhibit -- and the back-lit reproductions are terrible -- a seriously bad omen for this brand new, Jesuit art museum. (for which I had such high and desperate hopes -- since a very good museum, the Terra, about 4 blocks south, was recently shuttered by its board of directors )

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January 19th, 2006, 01:56 AM	#3
John John Malyon, host Join Date: Dec 2005 Posts: 163	I think this is a superb idea, although I suppose it can't escape being ironic -- more about the circumstances of the exhibition, the type of photographic and printing processes used, the nature of observation, the fetishistic value of an original art treasure, etc., than it is about Caravaggio. I'm very impressed by the website as well. They seem to have his complete works online in excellent reproduction. The only problem is that it uses that "zoom-in" interface rather than simply showing you a large image. The bottom line for me is that, for the vast majority of people, great photographs of Caravaggio's paintings could be just as effective for the purposes of enjoyment and education as the originals. And of course it gives the audience access to works they might never otherwise see in their lifetimes, plus it gives museums vast flexibility in curating new shows. Of course that opinion isn't surprising, seeing as I run an art site whose main purpose is to facilitate access to the online collections of art museums worldwide.

February 1st, 2006, 12:00 PM	#6
John John Malyon, host Join Date: Dec 2005 Posts: 163	What was the problem? Were the photographs not up to scratch, or did the lighting effect not work, or was the overall effect too flat?