Green laser pointer in hand, John T. Spike gestured to a woman in the background of Caravaggio’s painting of the burial of Christ. Arms outstretched, she mourns the death of Jesus – yet Spike was concerned with her abnormally tall height. Because of her positioning in the back of the painting, she should theoretically be unseen.
This, he notes, is one of the many optical tricks that are prevalent in the works of Italian Baroque painter Caravaggio. Such was the subject of his Wednesday night lecture on the artist.
Visiting 51 from Florence, Italy, Spike appeared as part of the annual Eric J. Ryan Lecture series. A renowned art critic, historian, and curator, he has written more than 20 books on Baroque and Renaissance art, including one on Caravaggio himself.
Carolyn Guile, assistant professor of art and art history, noted that the visit fit within the context of commemorating the 400th anniversary of Caravaggio’s death.
51 has joined in the worldwide celebration, with the art and art history department having featured other lectures and films on the artist. Additionally, the department offered a seminar devoted exclusively to Caravaggio, which Spike visited before the lecture.
“For the Eric Ryan lecture series, we like to invite a very distinguished lecturer, an acknowledged authority in their field, and in this case someone who is also an important connoisseur,” Guile said. “He’s one of the foremost authorities on Caravaggio, and his book on Caravaggio is a staple study that I like to use in the classroom.”
She mentioned that part of his appeal is as an engaging storyteller, which was clear during his lecture.
In an absorbing hour, he detailed the optical sleights present in some of Caravaggio’s repertoire, focusing on how the artist included many unprecedented effects in his work.
Kate Kelly ’12, an art history and math double major, enjoyed seeing the ways in which Caravaggio wasn’t a typical painter.
“There was a lot more to his work than you would think,” she said. “His was different from other works of the time, in terms of how he constructed it, and the composition of his paintings.”
Kelly’s reaction to the lecture embodied what Guile hoped students would take from the talk. “What I want them to learn is how to use their eyes,” Guile said. “I wanted someone who could synthesize what is in those pictures with how we see.”