"The Conversion of St.Paul" Caravaggio

As an assignment for CyberARTS, we were asked to pick a piece of art and talk about the Imitationalism, Emotional and Formalism qualities of it. I picked "The Conversion of St.Paul" by Caravaggio.

Imitationalism Qualities

This painting is very realistic. The two men and horse look insanely life-like. They all have very detailed qualities especially in the face. The man leading the horse has very precise details in his face showing his aging skin and thinning hair. Caravaggio made accurate use of real space, showing how far away and how close the things in the painting are.

Emotional Qualities

By using dark browns, reds, deep greens and oranges the painting gives off a feeling of sadness, anger and drama. The horse and the man behind the horse look calm but the man on the floor looks in pain or trapped in fear. His eyes look shut aand peaceful but the way his body is postitioned looks painful. The horses legs look tense.

Formalism Qualities

Caravaggio balanced the painting out well. The top feels a little bit heavier because of the horse and the old man being placed together but it is evened out by the man sprawled out on the floor. The artist created rhythm and movement with the lines that create the men and horses arms and legs. The colours work well with each other, looking like they all belong. Caravaggio hows the figures and objects in 3-D by using value to create texture.

I believe Caravaggio created a wonderful painting that can be liked by many people. Although not everyone will like such a realistic picture, everyone is entitled to their own opinion.