Thievery

Sadly, I learned that one of my favorite Caravaggio paintings was stolen between Tuesday night and Thursday morning (July 27 – 30th), from the Odessa Museum of Western and Eastern Art in the Ukraine. The Taking of Christ has long been considered one of Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio’s more exceptional works. Along with Supper at Emmaus and The Conversion of St. Paul (which is my favorite), The Taking of Christ is a masterpiece.

Evidently, the thieves entered through a window and cut the canvas from it’s frame. You can read more about this disturbing art heist on the Art Observed site, which is where I first learned of it. I’m so appreciative that Art Observed brought it to my attention, but I am surprised I hadn’t heard about it earlier. Maybe I missed the evening news report that night? I would think this would rock the art world. It certainly stunned me.

Caravaggio is my favorite painter along with Giotto. He was such a character of opposites and he displays this in his work, with many contrasts simultaneously at play: light and dark, dynamism and immobility, turmoil and tranquility, etc. I’m in awe of his work and his ability to have captured the moment precisely transfixed in its full, visual context of meaning. His compositions are near perfect and his use of chiaroscuro (exaggerated light and dark contrast), help guide the viewer directly to the pivotal point of action without much extraneous fluff. His work is often described as being overly dramatic but his life was dramatic, constantly being pursued by the law for murder, no less; however, his painting captures a purity that transcends all place and time. I have always been perplexed by Caravaggio because for such an ungrounded individual to have painted such beautiful works of art, it is truly hard to fathom. His art represents that dichotomy of opposites. For as much drama as they display, they stop all action and force one to concentrate on the painting’s raw, visceral and intangible meaning. For me they have a spiritual quality that goes way beyond words in being able to describe.

The last time I saw The Taking of Christ (also known as The Betrayal of Christ because of Judas’ kiss) was at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam in March 2006 during an exhibit that compared Rembrandt’s and Caravaggio’s works. It was a fantastic exhibit. I got so caught up in it, I even lost my family members. Fortunately, the Dutch are friendly and speak English very well.

For me to just see a Caravaggio painting in person was a thrill. Even though I realized at the time that this might just be a one-time opportunity to view any of Caravaggio’s paintings, to now know that one may be lost forever for future public viewing is a tragedy. I’m really hoping it can be found, and in good condition.