Caravaggio’s Models

Caravaggio’s Models looks at the art of Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio (1571–1610) through the lens of the complex, unexpected, and sometimes tragic lives of his best-known models. As the first show to focus on the real people “behind” Caravaggio’s canvases, it offers a groundbreaking perspective on the artistic practice of this giant of the Italian Baroque period. Featuring approximately 25 paintings, it is the largest presentation of his works to be held in North America in several decades.

Throughout his brief but intense career, Caravaggio repeatedly turned to the faces of his friends, lovers, and fellow artists. Many of these people lived on the margins of society and are known to us today almost entirely through his paintings. This exhibition seeks to tell their stories.

Caravaggio’s Models traces how the artist wove Biblical and mythological themes into emotionally charged, lifelike scenes through a series of case studies into the lives and identities of the models themselves. The exhibition culminates in the moments when Caravaggio used his own likeness, shedding light on both his dramatic narratives and his richly layered biography.