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Authors: Keith Sciberras & David M. Stone
Publishers: Midsea Books Ltd .
Format: Hardback, full colour
No of pages: 134 Caravaggio’s sojourn on the island of Malta in 1607-1608 is one of the most fascinating episodes in Baroque art. The painter had committed a murder on Rome in May 1606 and subsequently fled to Naples, where he quickly became famous for his gritty, naturalistic altarpieces. Suddenly, in the early summer of 1607, he decided to leave his thriving Neapolitan studio for the newly built city of Valletta, the headquarters of the Knights of Malta. The chance to obtain a knighthood and redeem himself for his Roman crime was no doubt foremost in his mind. Written b y two leading authorities in the filed, this richly illustrated book tells the story of Caravaggio’s voyage to Malta, his interactions with the Knights and their leader Grand Master Alof de Wignacourt, and the magnificent painting he made for them. Among the works he produced on the island are the beheading of St John the Baptist – his largest and only signed picture – and the St Jarome Writing, a canvas of exceptional psychological force. |
