Caravaggio's Rejected Masterpieces Infographic
Chapter 1

Out of the shadows and into the Roman spotlight

Chapter 2

Divine saints with dirty feet

Chapter 3

Art, anger, and the fatal duel

Chapter 4

On the run in Naples, Malta, and Sicily

Chapter 5

The final journey and a lasting legacy

Ch 2 · Divine saints with dirty feet
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sonia Models from the Roman streets

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sonia The scandal of dirty feet

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Divine saints with dirty feet
BETA

sonia Spot the dirty feet on sacred figures to learn how Caravaggio revolutionized art with realism.

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sonia Saints with dirty feet

Mud on their soles (oh yeah!) / Bringing the holy down to the street (so real!)

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sonia The mirror as a camera

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The rejected masterpieces

sonia Several of Caravaggio's most famous paintings were rejected by churches because they were deemed too realistic and disrespectful.

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Fun Fact

Drowned model: Caravaggio reportedly used the body of a drowned prostitute from the Tiber River as his model for the dead Virgin Mary.

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The scandal of dirty feet

sonia In paintings like the Madonna of Loreto, Caravaggio shocked churchgoers by depicting holy pilgrims with visibly dirty, muddy feet.

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Glossary
naturalism (noun)
A style of art that depicts people and things as they realistically appear in everyday life. Caravaggio shocked Rome in 1604 by painting grimy, barefoot pilgrims in his Madonna of Loreto.

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Quiz

How did Caravaggio paint the fruit basket in The Supper at Emmaus to create tension?

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Gossip

Would you pose for Caravaggio's gritty paintings?

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Quiz

Which scientific tool did Caravaggio likely use to project light and models onto his canvas?

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Quiz

Which Caravaggio painting shocked churchgoers by depicting pilgrims with dirty, muddy feet in the foreground?

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Quiz

Why did the church reject Caravaggio's famous painting The Death of the Virgin in 1606?

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Quiz

In The Supper at Emmaus, what detail on Christ's disciple's coat shows Caravaggio's love for gritty realism?

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Quiz

Whom did Caravaggio frequently hire as models for his paintings of holy saints?

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Quiz

What unusual artistic practice did Caravaggio skip, choosing instead to paint directly onto the canvas?

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Quiz

What texture did Caravaggio masterfully paint in The Incredulity of Saint Thomas to show extreme physical realism?

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