Caravaggio and the Creation of Modernity

In this highly original study Troy Thomas examines Caravaggio's life andart in relation to his most profound achievement: the creation of modernity.

He focuses on the inherent tensions, contradictions and ambiguities inCaravaggio's art - key areas often ignored by other experts. Structured thematicallyand chronologically, the book begins with an in-depth look at theartist's early life and works, which establish and refine his realism, his darksettings and his subtle and clever ambiguity of genre and meaning. Itdescribes his mature religious works that eschew the theatrical stock posesand expressions of previous art.

A forceful and concise statement on the artist’s innovations . . . offers daring interpretations on almost every page . . . underlines both Thomas’s skill as a historian and Caravaggio’s towering genius. Popmatters
A fitting complement to more traditional studies; it will help the reader better understand Caravaggio’s importance to artistic modernity and the history of art in general. Choice
Thomas is at his best when emphasizing Caravaggio’s artifice, the extent to which he went beyond the mere transcription of nature, and in analyzing the ways in which his works provoked an unprecedented visual and intellectual engagement with the viewer. Sixteenth Century Journal
Troy Thomas excellent new book provides an accessible but sophisticated examination of Caravaggio as an artist, focusing in particular on his mature Roman paintings. Building on previous scholarship and also offering some intriguing new interpretations of Caravaggios remarkable pictures, Thomas argues that the ambiguity of the artists approach to his subjects, along with his novel realism, psychological penetration, and dynamic immediacy, make Caravaggio a truly modern artist. Filled with interesting observations about Caravaggios pictures, this book examines Caravaggios uncomfortably human questioning of faith in his religious pictures, while situating the artist in the context of his time and arguing for the unprecedented modernity of his creations. Dr. Babette Bohn, Professor of Art History, Texas Christian University
Troy Thomas presents an insightful, well written overview of the life and art of this fascinating painter. His examination of Caravaggio&#39s radical style, eccentric persona, and ambiguous religious works against the background of cultural developments during the Counter-Reformation provides a fresh view of the artists originality and continuing influence. Wendy Wassyng Roworth, Professor Emerita of Art History, University of Rhode Island
Troy Thomas’s excellent new book on Caravaggio is well-informed, well considered . . . Thomas leads us through a succinct but, nonetheless, comprehensive review of Caravaggio's career and critical reception, so much so that even readers who are new to Caravaggio studies will in the end find they have acquired a satisfyingly adequate introduction to the artist's life and production. Thomas is a master in compacting much information in relatively few pages and throughout, whatever the topic, demonstrates that he is absolutely and securely current on the vast Caravaggio bibliography, which is no small compliment to pay a scholar . . . In addition to the intellectual satisfaction afforded by the book, there is the visual delight of its abundant and excellent color photography . . . Thomas’s [book] deserves our attention, our respect, and our compliments for it invites us, indeed enables us, to see and understand Caravaggio effectively from a truly different and enlightening perspective, in a way few books on the artist do . . . it distinguishes itself from among the scores of new books, scholarly or otherwise, that have been published in recent years on Caravaggio. Franco Mormando, Boston College, Religion and the Arts
This richly illustrated volume, organized both chronologically and thematically, is a comprehensive examination of the life and career of Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio [who] is often celebrated for his use of realism and tenebrism. However, this book has effectively demonstrated that one must look beyond heightened naturalism and pronounced chiaroscuro to fully appreciate the ground-breaking work that Caravaggio produced during his short and turbulent career. Highlighting compositional opposition and ambiguity in Caravaggio's work has allowed Thomas to shed light on the artist's ingenuity and sustained influence. This book is both well written and well documented, and is an excellent read for those looking to broaden their understanding of Michelangelo Merisi as a man, as a master painter, and a revolutionary whose personal manner of making intellectually and sensually engaging art helped lay the foundation for painting in the modern age. -- Jennifer Strtak, Yale University Renaissance and Reformation

Troy Thomas is Associate Professor of Humanities and Art History at Pennsylvania State University, Harrisburg. He regularly writes and lectures on Italian Renaissance art, Italian Baroque art and art theory.

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