Leo Martínez
The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, also known as the Met, houses several paintings by Caravaggio (Michelangelo Merisi). These include 'The Denial of Saint Peter', 'The Martyrdom of Saint Ursula', and 'The Musicians'. 'The Denial of Saint Peter' and 'The Martyrdom of Saint Ursula' are considered to be among Caravaggio's last works, with the former having a complex ownership history before being acquired by the Met in 1997. 'The Musicians' was discovered in 1952 and is now part of the Met's collection, representing the artist's early career.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Artist | Caravaggio (Michelangelo Merisi) |
| Paintings at the Met | The Denial of Saint Peter, The Martyrdom of Saint Ursula, The Musicians |
| Year of creation | 1595-99, 1610 |
| Acquisition | Purchased, Loan, Discovered |
| Previous owners | Vincenzo Imparato Caracciolo, Jan Dik, Herman Shickman, David Carritt |
| Current location | The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City |
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What You'll Learn
- The Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC owns Caravaggio's 'The Denial of Saint Peter'
- The Met also owns 'The Musicians', discovered in 1952
- Caravaggio's last painting, 'The Martyrdom of Saint Ursula', was loaned to the Met in 2017
- 'The Martyrdom of Saint Ursula' was loaned from the Banca Intesa Sanpaolo in Naples
- The Met's 'The Denial of Saint Peter' was purchased by Vincenzo Imparato Caracciolo after World War II
The Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC owns Caravaggio's 'The Denial of Saint Peter'
The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City owns Caravaggio's "The Denial of Saint Peter", which was acquired in 1997. It is one of the few Caravaggios on public view in the United States. The painting is a late work by Caravaggio, painted in Naples, and is thought to be completed in the last months of his life.
The painting depicts Saint Peter being accused of being a follower of Jesus. The artist employs a dramatic effect by contrasting brightly lit areas with a nearly black background. The pointing finger of a soldier and two fingers of a woman allude to the three accusations and Peter's three denials.
The painting was valued at 240 scudi and was owned by Paolo Savelli in 1632. It was passed down to his brother, Federico Savelli, and then to his nephew, Cardinal Fabrizio Savelli. The Savelli collection was offered for sale in 1650, and the painting was likely sold around this time. In the following centuries, the painting's whereabouts are uncertain, with some sources suggesting it was in various private collections or in the possession of the Caracciolo family in Naples.
In 1997, the Metropolitan Museum of Art acquired "The Denial of Saint Peter", adding it to their permanent collection. This acquisition allows art enthusiasts and scholars to appreciate Caravaggio's contribution to Western art, showcasing both his early and late styles. The painting is a significant addition to the museum's collection and provides valuable insights into Caravaggio's artistic development and influence during his lifetime.
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The Met also owns 'The Musicians', discovered in 1952
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, also known as the Met, has a collection of musical instruments that is virtually unique among major museums. The collection began in 1889 with a donation of 270 instruments by Mary Elizabeth Adams Brown, who later became the museum's first curator of musical instruments. By the time of her death, she had donated 3,600 instruments, which were housed in five galleries. Today, the Met's collection of musical instruments has about 5,000 examples from all over the world.
The Met's collection of photographs, numbering more than 25,000 in total, is centred on five major collections plus additional acquisitions. The first major collection of photographs was donated by Alfred Stieglitz, a photographer himself. His donation included a comprehensive survey of Photo-Secessionist works, a rich set of master prints by Edward Steichen, and an outstanding collection of his own photographs from his studio.
The Met also owns a painting by Caravaggio (Michelangelo Merisi) called The Musicians, discovered in 1952. According to Giovanni Baglione, a contemporary painter-author and primary biographical source, Caravaggio painted "a concert, with some youths portrayed from nature very well" immediately after joining the household of his first great patron, Cardinal Francesco Maria del Monte. Del Monte's collection included two other early Caravaggio paintings, The Fortune Teller (now in the Pinacoteca Capitolina, Rome) and The Cardsharps (Kimbell Art Museum, Fort Worth), purchased through the dealer Costantino Speti. It seems that Del Monte's interest in Caravaggio's work stemmed from its combination of a naturalistic style and a moralizing theme.
The Musicians is believed to be one of the first works Caravaggio executed for Del Monte, who later commissioned a personalised variant of a celebrated picture of a lute player that Caravaggio had painted for the market. This painting, owned by marchese Vincenzo Giustiniani, is now in the State Hermitage Museum in Saint Petersburg. Caravaggio's The Musicians was originally about the same size as The Cardsharps and may have been commissioned as a pendant.
The Met also owns another Caravaggio painting, The Denial of Saint Peter, which was created in the last months of the artist's life. This painting, along with Caravaggio's last painting, The Martyrdom of Saint Ursula, was exhibited at the Met in 2017.
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Caravaggio's last painting, 'The Martyrdom of Saint Ursula', was loaned to the Met in 2017
Caravaggio's last painting, "The Martyrdom of Saint Ursula", was loaned to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City in 2017. The painting, which dates back to 1610, is a masterpiece from the Intesa Sanpaolo collection, usually on display at the Gallerie d'Italia in Naples, Italy.
The loan of "The Martyrdom of Saint Ursula" to the Met in 2017 was part of an exceptional exhibition of Caravaggio's last two paintings, including "The Denial of Saint Peter", also created in the final months of his life. This exhibition offered a rare opportunity to view these two artworks side by side and to delve into Caravaggio's novel late style, characterised by an emphasis on the interplay of light and shadow, and symbolic allusions to sin and redemption, death and life.
"The Martyrdom of Saint Ursula" is a powerful depiction of the legend of Saint Ursula, who, according to legend, travelled with eleven thousand virgins to Cologne. When she rejected the advances of the chief of the Huns besieging the city, she was killed with an arrow. Caravaggio's interpretation captures the moment just after the arrow is released, with Ursula gazing perplexedly at her impending martyrdom. The painting is noted for its dramatic use of light and shadow, with exaggerated contrasts that seem to symbolise the themes of sin, redemption, death, and life.
The painting also includes a self-portrait of Caravaggio, who depicts himself as one of the onlookers, straining for a glimpse with his mouth open and a painful expression, as if he too has been wounded. This insertion of self-portraiture into his work has intrigued art historians and curators, who have interpreted it as possibly reflecting the artist's own troubled life and emotions.
The loan of Caravaggio's last painting to the Met in 2017 provided a valuable opportunity for art enthusiasts and scholars to study and appreciate this exceptional artwork outside of its usual home in Naples.
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'The Martyrdom of Saint Ursula' was loaned from the Banca Intesa Sanpaolo in Naples
The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, also known as the Met, has housed several paintings by the renowned Italian Baroque artist Caravaggio (Michelangelo Merisi) over the years. One notable example is "The Martyrdom of Saint Ursula," which was presented at the Met on loan from the Banca Intesa Sanpaolo in Naples, Italy. This exceptional loan occurred in 2017 and was a significant event in the art world.
"The Martyrdom of Saint Ursula" is considered Caravaggio's last painting, completed just two months before his death in 1610. It is a masterpiece that depicts the tragic legend of Saint Ursula, who, according to the narrative, travelled with eleven thousand virgins to Cologne. There, the chief of the Huns besieging the city fell in love with her. When she rejected him, he killed her with an arrow. Caravaggio's depiction of this scene is haunting, with the two figures positioned improbably close to each other, highlighting the contrast between their expressions.
The loan of "The Martyrdom of Saint Ursula" to the Met was especially meaningful as it reunited this painting with another of Caravaggio's late works, "The Denial of Saint Peter." These two paintings had not been exhibited together since 2004, when they were showcased in London and Naples, focusing on Caravaggio's late work. The opportunity to view them side by side at the Met offered a rare opportunity to study Caravaggio's novel late style, characterised by an emphasis on darkness and minimalist composition.
The exhibition at the Met, titled "Caravaggio's Last Two Paintings," was curated by Keith Christiansen, who provided insightful commentary on Caravaggio's final years and the unique aspects of his late artistic style. The loan of "The Martyrdom of Saint Ursula" from the Banca Intesa Sanpaolo in Naples played a crucial role in making this exhibition possible, allowing visitors to witness the culmination of Caravaggio's extraordinary artistic journey.
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The Met's 'The Denial of Saint Peter' was purchased by Vincenzo Imparato Caracciolo after World War II
The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, also known as the Met, has two paintings by Caravaggio (Michelangelo Merisi) from the beginning and end of his career. One of these is 'The Denial of Saint Peter', which was likely painted in the last months of Caravaggio's life.
'The Denial of Saint Peter' was acquired by the Met in 1997. Before this, the painting was purchased by Vincenzo Imparato Caracciolo of Naples on the Neapolitan art market after World War II. The painting was sold to Caracciolo as an anonymous work by an antiques dealer, and it was only after its restoration in 1959-64 that it was attributed to Caravaggio.
The painting's provenance before its sale to Caracciolo is uncertain. It is believed to have been in the collection of the Savelli family in Rome and Naples until around 1952, and it may have been in the possession of the Caracciolo family in Naples since the seventeenth century.
'The Denial of Saint Peter' is a powerful work that depicts Peter denying Jesus after his arrest. Caravaggio's use of lighting and shadow creates a dramatic effect, and the composition conveys a sense of narrative concision. The painting is considered a significant part of Caravaggio's contribution to Western art and has been the subject of much analysis and interpretation.
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