Great Art on Screen goes deep with 'Caravaggio'

The second of four “Great Art on Screen” broadcast documentaries, “Caravaggio: The Soul and the Blood” will be shown at 11 a.m. Saturday, March 23, at the Whitefish Performing Art Center. This broadcast was originally scheduled for March 16, but was recently moved to March 23. Tickets are $15 adults/$5 students (K-12)/$10 college students, cash or check, available at the door.

The “Great Art on Screen” series offers visually stunning documentaries featuring the most extraordinary and groundbreaking art masters of their time. Produced by BY Experience/HD, these entertaining documentaries run approximately 90 minutes each. Last month’s “Great Art on Screen” featured Van Gogh.

“Caravaggio: The Soul and the Blood” features the Italian oil painter Michaelangelo Merisi di Caravaggio. This is not the Michaelangelo who painted the Sistine Chapel and sculpted David (He lived 1475 to 1564). Rather, this Michaelangelo lived from 1571 to 1610 and was known for his oil paintings. He painted with great realism, naturalism, and a dramatic use of lighting called chiaroscuro that inspired Baroque painters like Rembrandt. One art expert said, “What begins in the work of Caravaggio is, quite simply, modern painting.”

The documentary features Roberto Longhi, a Caravaggio expert, who explores the correlation between the artist’s masterpieces and his personal experiences. Art historians agree that Caravaggio was “violent, touchy, and provocative.” One expert even calls him “extremely crazy.” His life was fraught with violence and controversy; he was accused of murder, had to flee for his life, and may have even been murdered himself. This documentary allows viewers to go deep inside the mind and soul of Caravaggio, empathizing with his impulses and fears.

Subsequent “Great Art on Screen” broadcasts at the Whitefish Performing Arts Center:

Klimt & Schiele: Eros and Psyche — Saturday, May 4, 11 a.m.

Water Lilies of Monet: The Magic of Water and Light — Saturday, June 8, 11 a.m.