How to Pretend You Know Caravaggio

The need to create has always been a part of the human condition. It is an unquenchable desire as old as our species and probably embedded in our DNA. The earliest art consisted mostly of people hunting and killing each other on walls and rocks. As time progressed, Egyptians and Greeks began writing things down. This highly significant period in history mostly gave us pots.

Then came the middle ages dominated by the church. This monotheistic period put a stop to art depicting multi-winged elephants and restricted expression to morose men in bath robes. Afterwards came the renaissance, which continued this tradition. However, with the re-invention of perspective and foreshortening, morose men can now be drawn realistically. This period has being characterized by an obsession with the human form and condition whose fiery ideals would forge our modern day struggle between good and evil.

Then finally came the modern age of -Isms: expressionism, impressionism, pointillism, cubism, dada-ism, surrealism, etc. The experience of global war, the endless forward march of technology and popularization of theories of the human mind liberalized the notion of what we considered art and means of artistic production. At this point in history, the gloves came off and pretty much anything passes as art nowadays.

In this fluid and evanescent art world, one man stood alone at the precipice and brought light out from the darkness. He was a hero, visionary and cultural icon of his time. If his life could be put to words, it would put Shakespeare to shame. His vivid work would define and educate presidents, popes, prime ministers, despots and dictators world-wide, enabling them to contemplate and reflect upon their own existence. His name was Caravaggio.