LA TÉCNICA DE CARAVAGGIO

Understanding Caravaggio's Pictorial Technique and Materials

This section discusses the challenges in understanding Caravaggio's technique and materials due to the lack of written documentation and limited testimonies from his contemporaries. However, through scientific investigations and careful study, researchers have attempted to reconstruct his artistic process.

Caravaggio's Working Style

• Caravaggio preferred painting from live models in a studio with overhead lighting.

• He was known for his speed, often completing up to three heads in a single day.

• There are no unfinished paintings that provide insight into his work phases, but some later paintings contain incomplete figures.

Materials Used by Caravaggio

• Caravaggio primarily used canvas as support, specifically thick linen with an average of 12 by 12 threads per square centimeter.

• The preparation of the canvas involved applying a dark, oily primer made of oil, pigment (mostly earth tones), lead white, plaster, and sometimes sand.

• The color of the mestica (preparation) was important to Caravaggio as he sometimes left large areas visible or applied a light glaze over it.

• The cardinal points of composition were quickly marked with freehand incisions on the preparation.

Caravaggio's Approach to Drawing

• Caravaggio did not follow the traditional practice of elaborate and studied drawing before painting directly from reality.

• Instead, he drew by painting directly on the canvas, modifying the work during execution.

• Recent investigations suggest that he may have used preliminary graphic phases in some works based on infrared multispectral scanning and infrared reflectography.

Painting Technique

• Caravaggio began by creating a graphic layout using Burnt Umber Earth as a base.

• His brushstrokes were quick, loose yet strong and full.

• He incorporated shading into the priming layer itself rather than relying solely on subsequent glazes.

• Lead white was applied in lighter tones for the light areas of the complexion, often with a spiral pattern of brushstrokes.

• Caravaggio completed his paintings part by part in a single session, applying glazes without allowing the underlying color to dry completely.

• The final painting appeared defined and studied in every detail, with a paste-like texture.

Caravaggio's Technique: Drawing and Painting

This section explores Caravaggio's unique approach to drawing and painting, focusing on his use of sketching and body-kneading techniques.

Sketching and Body-Kneading

• Caravaggio's sketches were characterized by rich brushstrokes, fast execution, and a mixture of colors.

• He used the brown color of the priming layer as a half tone for creating dimness.

• Lead white was applied in increasingly lighter tones for the light areas of the complexion, with pure white used for final touches.

• Radiographs often reveal a spiral pattern of white brushstrokes.

• Unlike contemporary painters who used glazes over body sketches, Caravaggio completed his paintings part by part in one session, mixing wet layers together.

Construction of Paintings

• Caravaggio's paintings were built using paste-like layers rather than distinct layers.

• The preliminary drawing became integrated with the sketch itself during execution.

• The technique known as body-kneading remained typical in many Mediterranean regions.

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PIGMENTS

This section discusses the pigments used by Caravaggio in his paintings.

Caravaggio's Palette

• Caravaggio used a limited number of coloring materials, including lead white, yellow and red ocher, cinnabar, copper green, charcoal black, and earth pigments.

• In his early works, he used bright and decisive colors, but as he matured, his palette shifted towards darker and more muted shades with earth-based colors predominating.

UNCOVERED STRIP

This section explores the technique of leaving an uncovered strip around complexions in Caravaggio's paintings.

Technique of Leaving Uncovered Strip

• Caravaggio often left an exposed strip of preparation around the complexions in his paintings.

• This reddish-brown strip was revealed intentionally due to the rapid execution process where he would proceed quickly without waiting for adjacent areas to dry.

• This technique is likely influenced by painting from life with a model present.

• The final draft sometimes went beyond the initial sketch or even merged with it. Egg tempera highlights were occasionally added on top of still fresh oil layers.

Scientific Reproduction

This section discusses the use of scientific reproduction techniques to understand Caravaggio's painting methods.

Scientific Reproduction Process

• "Scientific reproduction" involves gathering information from various sources such as historical texts, restoration reports, diagnostic tests, and careful observation of preserved works.

• Unfinished works and those that have undergone careless restoration can provide valuable insights into Caravaggio's techniques.

• Layers of material originally hidden from view can be revealed through scientific analysis.

• Unfortunately, due to copyright restrictions, direct comparisons between scientific reproductions and original works cannot be shown in this presentation.

Aggressive Cleaning Operation

This section mentions a cleaning operation carried out on one of the reproductions to test its similarity to the original painting.

Aggressive Cleaning Operation

• An aggressive cleaning operation was performed on one of the reproductions to determine if progressively unveiling the layers would result in a similar appearance to the original painting.

• The painting depicting Sant' Orsola, attributed to Caravaggio, had undergone a similar treatment in the past.

The transcript is already in English, so there is no need for translation.