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SMITHSONIAN ASSOCIATES | Webinar “Caravaggio: The Cursed Painter” by Rocky Ruggiero, Ph.D.

Known as the pittore maledetto, or the cursed painter, Caravaggio (1571–1610) not only revolutionized painting at the turn of the 16th century with his hyper-realistic style, he often turned Rome on its head with his criminal behavior. He was a street-brawler and a troublemaker who spent much of his time between brothels and taverns—when he wasn’t getting out of town one step ahead of the law.

Caravaggio’s tendencies toward vulgarity and even violence inevitably informed his art and many of his paintings reflect his difficult personality. Today, some refer to his behavior as that of a sociopath.   

Rocky Ruggiero, a specialist in the Early Renaissance, traces Caravaggio’s works and how they are intimately tied to his personal demons.

Please register through the Smithsonian website:

https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/caravaggio-cursed-painter