Caravaggio: One of History’s Mad Men

This week, I was privileged to be able to view the Toledo Museum of Art’s The Brilliance of Caravaggio: Four Paintings in Focus exhibit.

It was outstanding. It’s a curated deep dive on the techniques that are why we are still looking at these paintings centuries later. If you are able to make it, this is well worth your time.

Caravaggio is a long-time favorite of mine. I was first exposed to Caravaggio when reading The Lost Painting: The Quest for a Caravaggio Masterpiece by Jonathan Harr.

What drew me to his his paintings was that they told stories. Also…they were marketing.

The Catholic Church was Marketing?

While his tumultuous life was marked by controversy and murder, Caravaggio's unique style found an unlikely ally in the form of the Catholic Church. The powerful visual impact of his paintings became an effective tool for marketing Catholicism during a period of religious upheaval and reform known as the Counter-Reformation, when, for the first time, the Catholic Church had competition.

Caravaggio's art was distinctive for its intense, realistic depictions of human emotion. His works, such as "The Supper at Emmaus," "Judith Beheading Holofernes," and "The Calling of Saint Matthew," conveyed religious narratives with an unprecedented level of emotional intensity and realism.

Caravaggio's ability to depict saints and biblical figures as relatable individuals with human struggles appealed to the masses. The raw humanity in his paintings allowed people to connect with the narratives on a personal level, fostering a deeper emotional and spiritual engagement with Catholic teachings. This was a departure from the distant and idealized representations prevalent in earlier religious art.

A note here: this exact approach is being used today by the '“He Gets Us” advertising campaign.

Two Case Studies in Marketing

One notable example of Caravaggio's art being used to market Catholicism is the commissioning of "The Conversion of Saint Paul." Completed around 1601, this masterpiece captures the pivotal moment of Saint Paul's conversion on the road to Damascus. The dramatic use of light and shadow heightens the emotional impact of the scene, emphasizing the divine intervention and the transformative nature of Paul's experience. The painting was strategically placed in prominent Catholic institutions, serving as a visual testament to the power of conversion and divine grace.

The Calling of Saint Matthew," commissioned for the Contarelli Chapel in Rome, is another prime example of Caravaggio's impact on marketing Catholicism. The painting portrays the moment when Jesus calls Matthew, a tax collector, to be his disciple. Caravaggio's masterful use of light draws attention to the divine intervention and the transformative power of faith. Matthew’s reaction (“Who me?”) is relatable to any viewer. The deliberate placement of such works in places of worship served to inspire and reinforce Catholic beliefs among the congregation.

What are some lessons for us?

First, what we do is not new. The desire to persuade people to act is as old as humans itself.

Second, the principles of these works—immediacy, emotional appeal, relevance—to this day are what separates good storytelling from bad.

Third, the authenticity here is worth noting. Real people, in real situations, in real settings. And, in some, real suffering, as seen here. We tend to try and sanitize our stories.

I used to joke that every word that evoked a feeling or emotion would be stricken by the client. The lesson here is quite different.