CARAVAGGIO: AN ARTIST ON THE RUN

Caravaggio stayed in Malta for just over a year, but he definitely left an indelible heritage. Keith Shibaras, Caravaggio scholar. He stayed on the island for 15 months and he painted the Beheading, he painted the Saint Jerome, he painted a beautiful Sleeping Cupid, Cupido D'Ambiente, which is at the Pitti in Florence. He painted a portrait of a knight, which is also at the Pitti. He painted a portrait of which is at the Louvre, probably painted an Annunciation for the Duke of Lorraine, that's in Nancy in France. He probably painted also other pictures which are lost. The greatness of it all is that this is the period in which he produced the most amazing pictures and some of the most spiritually intense pictures of the entire history of art, meaning that few are the artists that managed to impregnate their paintings with such spiritual intensity. And that's the greatness of Caravaggio. Caravaggio's stay in Malta was far from peaceful, just like the rest of his life. He arrived in Malta pursued by a papal conviction due to a homicide committed in Rome, but thanks to his extraordinary talent he soon obtained the favours of the Grand Master. He was made a knight and obtained important commissions, among which the beautiful Beheading of Saint John the Baptist for the conventual Church of Saint John, the knight's most important church. But just when life eventually seemed to be smiling at him, things were suddenly turned upside down. Caravaggio was arrested for another brawl during which a knight was wounded and was imprisoned in Fort Sant'Angelo. From this place Caravaggio mysteriously escaped and in the autumn of 1608 he reached Sicily by boat. However, his life had become an incessant attempt to escape pursued by two convictions, one by the Pope and one by the knights. His brief but intense life ended in Tuscany in Porto Ecole at the age of 39. In Malta Caravaggio left two paintings, among which the spectacular Beheading of Saint John the Baptist, the only painting signed by the artist, his biggest work and greatest masterpiece. Cynthia de Giorgio, curator of Saint John's co-cathedral. It is so monumental. It has what we call gravitas because the action is not finished. You can stand in front of the Caravaggio for hours. It's frustrating. I work here. I look at that painting every day and the beheading is never finished. It's still happening and to capture this movement in a still picture is outstanding.