Welcome to Part 3 of a three-part series by Timothy Joseph Allen, MFA, on Caravaggio and bridging the gap between technical analysis, theory, and performance.
Read “Decoding Caravaggio, Part 1” here.
Read Part 2 here.
Decoding Caravaggio, Part 3
by Timothy Joseph Allen, MFA
www.americanartistinrome.com
The Cook’s Apprentice: Education through Observation
Fundamental to understanding a painter’s process is the act of trying to reproduce it. Theory is, of course, necessary and welcome, but performance only adds clarity and can readily dispel gratuitous fantasy.
During the process of making the copy, it was evident that Dr. De Ruggieri and Dr. Cardinali were intrigued, and sometimes surprised, by the things I would do while making the copies (like using a large bristle brush to apply the paint or smudging an edge with my finger), just as I was inspired by some of their own insights and observations that triggered ideas I had not considered or expected.
At one point Dr. De Ruggieri and I were speculating on the kind of training Caravaggio would have had that would have paved the way for his understanding of the technique and materials. She said, “I think it’s like when you are growing up and you learn to cook… you see how your parents did it.” The implication is clear: one learns much through the mere act of observation, and then instinctually acting upon those observations.
It is well known that Caravaggio spent time with some painters in the early stage of his career in northern Italy, and also spent time in the bottega of the Cavaliere D’Arpino in Rome (9), but my perception of that had always been seen through the lens of a pedagogical exchange, meaning the master says to the apprentice, “first you do X, then you do Z,” etc.
(9) Bellori, Giovanni Pietro. Le Vite De’ Pittori, Scultori Ed Architetti Moderni: Co’ Loro Ritratti Al Naturale. Rome. 1728.
Instead, the idea that one can learn a craft without an explicit didactic exchange helps to underscore the educational possibilities that emerge when observation of others is combined with a steady practice of “three heads a day.” (10) From that, experience is gained and intuition is honed. The act of painting is as much about learning and discovery as it is execution.
(10) Friedlaender, Walter. Caravaggio Studies. First Schocken edition, Schocken Books, 1969. P.233.
As Harrington Mann affirmed in his publication on portrait painting: “I have always maintained that there is so much to learn and comparatively so little that can be taught… the practice of painting is so terribly individual that the student can do best by perfecting his technique through his own observation and the study of the masters with whom he finds himself most in sympathy.” (11)
(11) Mann, Harrington. The Technique of Portrait Painting; a Complete & Detailed Guide to the Handling, Composition & Lighting of Portraits in Oils. Seeley Service, 1933. P. 21. Internet Archive. Accessed 27 May, 2024.
In a similar vein, it was only through the act of imitating Caravaggio’s technique, with the materials he used, with the painting in front of me, that I was able to dislodge one of those moments of learning:
In preparing to paint the arm with the flesh tone, I determined the top part was made with a bristle brush, about one and a half inches in width, clearly loaded with paint, and dragged down the length of the forearm from right to left, following the contour (Figure 4, shown at top). This observation not only informed the kind of brush that was needed, but also called attention to the quantity of paint and the quality of consistency that would allow me to drag it accordingly.
As a result, I realized the paint I had ground by hand leant itself well to what was required, in that it was less thick and more fluid than a commercial mix (though in retrospect I would have had it slightly less ‘wet’ than what it was). I also realized that any effort to spare the amount of paint I put on my palette would be counter-productive. These realizations made an impression and I think it is important to explain why.
Yes, the statement that a large brush loaded with a large quantity of fluid paint facilitates a rapid and efficient application certainly seems obvious and benign, but it lacks contemporary context.
In other words, it fails to appreciate that most painters today, especially those learning, are on a budget, and good professional paints are to be cherished and rationed; rarely will students have more than ‘half a walnut’ of each color on the palette. The consequence of this should be evident: limited quantities limit the possibilities. In an art form that ultimately pivots on nuance and subtlety, where small changes can make a big difference, a big change of this nature is a game changer.
I imagine Caravaggio in a painter’s studio early in his career: he sees a generous amount of pigment ground into paint on a porphyry slab, then scooped into a large half shell, which is then passed to the master with large brush in hand. You see? Some things were baked into the cake from the beginning.
Conclusion
The purpose of this project has been to take a technical analysis of a painting by Caravaggio, use it as means to inform the materials and process, and then replicate the painting with the intent of conducting a technical analysis on the result. This has, in turn, given us the opportunity to identify and bridge the gap of literacy and comprehension that exist between an art historian’s technical analysis and a practicing painter’s ability to put that information to effective use in the process of making a painting.
These initial observations and discoveries make it clear that there is much, much more that can be done in this field and should encourage a proliferation of these kinds of collaborations.
This experience has brought me as close as I think I can get to being an observer in the kitchen of Caravaggio. I am now tasked with the joy (and terror) to take this knowledge and make something from it.
Timothy Joseph Allen, M.F.A.
June 12th, 2024
Rome, Italy
Acknowledgements
My sincere thanks to: Dr. Beatrice De Ruggieri, Dr. Marco Cardinali, Director Thomas Clement Salomon, Dr. Maura Garofalo, and all the kind and professional employees at Palazzo Barberini, Raul Portella at La Bottega dell’Artista (Ditta G. Poggi), David Kremer at Kremer Pigmente, Prof. Paul Gwynne at The American University of Rome, and Theresa Lindo.
About the Author
Timothy Joseph Allen is professional oil painter who has lived and worked in Rome, Italy for more than 25 years. In 2010 he founded the art school, PADASOR (acronym for the Painting And Drawing Art Studio Of Rome) and continues to work as the director and an instructor. Since 2006 he has been a part of the adjunct faculty at The American University of Rome. For more about him and his work, please visit: www.americanartistinrome.com
