Caravaggio’s Realism: Death of the Virgin & Saint Jerome

Posted on Feb 23, 2025 in Arts and Humanities

Caravaggio’s Interpretation of Religious Themes

Figures in a painting, possibly by Berruguete, are reminiscent of a bald figure, possibly inspired by Donatello and Rustici, with a hand gesture and foot shape. The artistic lineage appears to be Florentine: Donatello, Rustici, and perhaps Berruguete.

The Death of the Virgin

This painting sparked immediate controversy and rejection. It was commissioned for Santa Maria della Scala. Renaissance depictions of the Virgin’s death (whether described as sleep or dormition) were typically idealized. It’s crucial to distinguish between *Assumption* and *Ascension*. The Assumption of the Virgin signifies her being taken up into heaven; she does not ascend herself but relies on intermediaries. Caravaggio chose the theme of death, but rendered it with his characteristic realism.

Rumors suggested Caravaggio used a prostitute as a model (possibly even pregnant) or a drowned woman from the Tiber River (explaining the swollen abdomen). Unlike traditional depictions of Christ’s burial, where his age is accurately portrayed, the Virgin’s appearance here is ambiguous, resembling a corpse rather than a peacefully sleeping figure.

Other controversial aspects included the Virgin’s bare, dirty feet and the absence of a halo (only the context identifies her). The painting was deemed unsuitable for prayer.

The Virgin is positioned diagonally in foreshortening, contrasted by another diagonal formed by the light, which always takes center stage. Mary Magdalene is shown from the back, visibly weeping. The red of the Virgin’s garment foreshadows the martyrdom of her son and her own suffering. Additional figures complete the group of mourners, and the light falls on their heads, revealing their expressions. Those further back are more detached from the scene. It’s a comprehensive picture, but unlike his earlier works, it doesn’t give the effect of being behind walls. Caravaggio emphasizes the curtain, an element used since Titian, and later almost systematically by Velázquez. The curtains enhance the theatricality and the play of light and shadow created by the folds (a recurring motif in Baroque art).

The details of the grieving, intimate Magdalene are echoed in Caravaggio’s painting of *The Entombment of Christ* (even the same garments).

Saint Jerome (Both Versions)

One of these versions was attributed to Españoleto (Jose de Ribera), a major painter of the Column, whose style closely resembles Caravaggio’s.

There are two versions to consider: one in the Borghese Gallery and another in the Monastery of Montserrat.

  • Borghese Gallery Version: Formerly attributed to Ribera, this depicts Saint Jerome as a writer, with a red cape (symbolizing his cardinal status) and a skull, signifying his penitence. He is working on the Vulgate. The close-up composition brings us face-to-face with the saint, emphasizing his head and the mantle. The painting is characterized by great serenity and tenebrism, with the figure volumetrically illuminated. The angles of the books extend into our space.
  • Montserrat Version: This portrays Jerome as a penitent. The folds reveal an old man’s abdomen, lacking muscle definition; it’s an extremely realistic nude. Jerome beats his chest with a stone, a common iconographic representation.