Caravaggio in Early Modern Sicily

This is the first book in English dedicated to Caravaggio’s life and work in Sicily. It examines the four Sicilian altarpieces within the context of Sicily and in relation to his other paintings. This study sets the stage for Caravaggio’s arrival in Sicily by providing an overview of the cultural, political, and religious climate. The four chapters are each dedicated to the universally accepted Sicilian altarpieces. These paintings are considered in terms of their patronage, iconography, possible references to local culture, the artist’s individual artistic practices, and technical studies. Another chapter examines the host of paintings attributed to Caravaggio during this period that may or may not have been part of his Sicilian stay. A concluding chapter notes his artistic legacy in Sicily including a brief overview of his Sicilian followers. The book adds to the already vast literature on Caravaggio by offering new avenues of inquiry into this extraordinary artist while in Sicily, his artistic activity there, and more generally, Seicento Sicily as an important place of artistic production, patronage, and collecting.