When we look at great artists, the name Rembrandt comes to mind, and Caravaggio. Both men are great artists who influenced others.
The Italian artist Caravaggio influenced many Baroque artists. Even though he never met Rembrandt, and Rembrandt had not personally seen it in any of his paintings, Caravaggio still influenced Rembrandt; Caravaggio influenced how Rembrandt used light and dark. Both artists have quite a bit in common and are both fantastic artists.
Caravaggio’s Influence On Rembrandt’s Art
It is well-known that Rembrandt was influenced by the Italian artist Caravaggio. It can be said that Caravaggio influenced every significant Baroque artist during this time.
Caravaggio lived in Italy his entire life; Rembrandt never traveled outside Holland or went to Italy. Rembrandt never met Caravaggio and never saw an original Caravaggio painting.
Caravaggio died four years after Rembrandt was born. Caravaggio painted for the Catholic Church and aristocrats. On the other hand, Rembrandt worked in a mainly Protestant country and painted for the wealthy middle class.
Caravaggio’s influence traveled and reached Rembrandt because of other artists who made their way to Holland, and those artists helped influence Rembrandt. It was the Dutch Caravaggio’s fans that influenced Rembrandt.
So we can say that Caravaggio’s influence on Rembrandt was not direct but was more of Rembrandt seeing Caravaggio’s influence through others.
But whatever way Caravaggio’s influence came, it did come. These artists join their use of light and shade to create powerful portraits and works of art.
Caravaggio Vs. Rembrandt Explained
Even though Caravaggios indirectly influenced Rembrandt, there are some similarities.
- Use Of Dark – Caravaggio used a lot of dark, and his dark is mainly very black. Rembrandt used black, but it has shadows and outlines on it.
- Use Of Light – You cannot talk about Caravaggio or Rembrandt without talking about how they used light in their paintings.
- Details Feel Real – Both Caravaggio and Rembrandt paint with realism. The human figures come to life. Rembrandt took what Caravaggio was doing and built upon it to produce superior works of art.
- Story Telling – Both men tell us a story with their paintings, but Rembrandt usually tells a warmer and cozier story than Caravaggio’s.
- Composition – Caravaggios off-centers his painting and subjects quite a bit, and Rembrandt may also sometimes do this, but mainly has them front and center.
- Realism – They both had a great sense of realism and were able to make their subjects come off the canvas and come to life.
- Details – Both artists had a fantastic amount of more information. Still, some of Rembrandt’s details surpass Caravaggios in how he had the fabric, to everything else he painted come entirely to life.
Both artists are amazing. Caravaggio influenced a generation of Baroque artists, whereas Rembrandt is still considered one of the greatest artists ever.
About The Italian Artist Caravaggio
Caravaggio was an Italian artist from 1571 to 1610, so he would have lived and practiced art about a generation before Rembrandt. He was active mainly in Rome for most of his artistic life.
Caravaggio is most well known as a painter that combined artistic observations of humans, both physical and emotional. He also used a dramatic use of light. Caravaggio had a significant influence on Baroque Painting, including on Rembrandt.
Influences Of Caravaggio On Rembrandt
One of the best ways to examine Caravaggio’s influence on Rembrandt is to explore some of their paintings. You can see some comparisons between the two great artists in these paintings.
We learn from their painting that Caravaggio and Rembrandt were tremendous artists; they could do large feasts, goddesses, and flora in their artwork.
Caravaggio’s Supper at Emmaus and Rembrandt’s Belshazzar’s Feast
Comparing Caravaggio’s Supper at Emmaus and Rembrandt’s Belshazzar Feast, you can see how each artist handled a subject of a feast or eating. We love how Rembrandt used light and dark and how the figures in his banquet seem to come to life and are filled with small details.
In this painting, you can see how Rembrandt built upon what Caravaggios was doing and made it extraordinary with all his details and feeling of human movement.
Caravaggio’s Penitent Magdalene and Rembrandt’s Flora
In Caravaggio’s Penitent Magdalene and Rembrandt’s Flora, we can see how each man used the subject of painting a woman. In the case of Caravaggio, he painted Mary Magdelene as she cradled her stomach.
I love the detail of her dress and how she stands out from the dark background.
Rembrandt’s Flora is a painting of his wife Saskia in Flora, the goddess of spring and flowers. He painted her many times as a goddess. In this artwork, he painted Saskia in the year of their marriage, showing his deep love and admiration for Saskia.
Again the detail he used for her clothes is exquisite and exceptional. We can see his use of light and dark patterns in the painting.
Both artists are amazing, but we can see how Rembrandt built upon what Caravaggio started and took his use of light, dark, and subject matter to new heights.
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