Among the most famous works of Caravaggio there is The Sick Bacchus, in the Galleria Borghese in Rome and built between 1593 and 1594. The Bacchus is ill defined for his skin pale and purple lips, signs of a physical condition not quite optimal. There are good reasons to believe that it is a self-portrait of Caravaggio, newly discharged from the hospital where he had been hospitalized for an illness, he stayed in the shop of Cavalier D’Arpino. It was here, in fact, that the Sick Bacchus and the Boy with a Basket of Fruit were stored until 1607, when the emissaries of Pope Paul V requisitioned works and surrendered himself to the Pope’s nephew, Scipione Borghese Caffarelli, known collector ‘art. The Bacchus has a particular face, raw and unforgiving, but it seems to fit the different facial features in portraits that Caravaggio realized in subsequent periods, and the portrait that he made his friend Ottavio Leoni. Given the many portraits that Caravaggio made ​​in his life, one wonders why. A plausible explanation is that he did not know paint without a model in front and not allow a potendosene because of its severe economic conditions, was forced to portray himself as a mirror.

The dark background of the picture see the subject forward, it seems almost come out from the canvas. The fruits scattered on the table to predict the sensitivity of the still lifes that are represented multiple times in successive frames. The hypothesis of the self after the disease is refuted by the art critic Maurizio Marini, which gives the skin color of a botched restoration work.

What is going on at the Vittoriano in Rome is the most comprehensive exhibition of Dalí ever to be realized in Italy. Of the genius who shocked his contemporaries by the eccentricity of his works and, especially, of his person and his lifestyle, we immediately recognized the works, as founder of a unique style. Among all, the most famous and appreciated around the world is indeed “The Persistence of Memory“, which, unfortunately, is not present at the Vittoriano. You should go to the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Precisely because of this important absence, we discuss it here. This picture was painted by Dali in 1931, and the story of how the idea of ​​the famous soft watches in the mind of the Spanish genius, he tells us the same in a written: “Rather than make me hard, like life really had planned , … Gala managed to build me a shell that protected the delicate nudity of hermit crab that was settled, that is myself, so while I acquistavo externally increasingly looks like a fortress, internally I could continue to grow old springs, ipermolle. And the day when I decided to paint them painted soft clocks. It happened one evening when I felt tired and had a slight headache, which I very rarely happens. We wanted to go to the movies with some friends, and instead, at the last minute, I decided to stay home. Gala, however, also came out while I was thinking of going straight to bed. To complete the meal we had eaten a very strong and Camembert, after everyone had left, I remained for a long time sitting at the table, to meditate on the philosophical problem of ‘ipermollezza’ of that cheese. I got up, went to my studio and, as is my habit, I turned on the light to take a last look at the painting I was working on. The painting showed a view of the landscape of Port Lligat. I knew that the atmosphere that I was able to create in that picture would serve as the backdrop for an idea, but I did not know what would have been minimal. I was about to turn off the light when, suddenly, ‘I saw’ the solution. I saw two of them hung a soft watches miserably from the olive branch. Despite the headache was now so intense that torment me, feverishly prepared the palette and I went to work. When, two hours later, Gala came back from the cinema, the picture that would become one of my most famous, was finished. “

“The Persistence of Memory”, measuring 24 × 33 cm, emphasizes the difference between mechanical time, measured with clocks, and the time of memory, with his perceptions, pua expand or contract. The long memory is quite subjective: fast when you are happy and incredibly slow when you are sad. Book now your Rome hotel among more than 1000 hotels we offer on our main website and save!

In Palazzo Barberini, in the National Gallery of Ancient Art, it is preserved a masterpiece of painting, Narcissus, the work of the gifted painter of all time, Caravaggio. Performed between il1597 and 1599, the painting is clearly inspired by the myth of Narcissus taken from Ovid’s Metamorphoses, which tells the story of a young man so beautiful that all men and women fell in love with him, but he did not cared, even preferred to spend his days in solitude, hunting. Among her suitors the nymph Echo, that when tried to get Narcissus, she was rejected. From that day the nymph hid in the woods consumed by unrequited love, but eventually it’s just a rumor. Finally, as a lover refused asked to Nemesis to avenge him, Narcissus was doomed to fall in love with his own reflection in the water. He spent his days admiring his reflection in the water and complained because he could not kiss or touch it enough to let himself die pining. Looking at the painting of Caravaggio is known as the lips are stretched and narrowed to Narcissus kissing his own reflection, and the left hand lying in water in an attempt to embrace her.

The moment depicted is not, therefore, when Narcissus sees himself and falls in love, but the most psychologically complex of Narcissus, who tries to possess his image. Caravaggio wanted to send a strong emotion, representing it intense and sensual. If you are planning a trip to Rome, do not miss this masterpiece, and book your Rome hotel in advance on our booking engine: even if there are many hotels, you risk to fall in love with one of them!