One of the most memorable fresco scenes in a movie for me was in The English Patient. It really stick with me because of one of my own fresco discovery moments when the church of Santa Croce was closed to the public but I happened to get inside. They were doing some repair work on the frescoes by Agnolo Gaddi presenting stories of the Saints Antonio Abate, Giovanni Battista, Giovanni Evangelista and Nicola di Bari. The particular wall to the right of the impression of painted tile is something I have reproduced multiple times for commissions.
I’ve actually never seen The English Patient, but I know the frescoes you're talking about! The ones by Agnolo Gaddi in Santa Croce are amazing. It must’ve been so cool to get inside while they were being restored. The scenes of the saints are really beautiful, and it’s awesome that the wall with the painted tile impression has inspired your commissions. It’s crazy how certain moments like that stick with you!
Forever. You should see the scene prob easy to find on YouTube. It’s breathtaking. As far as the movie goes, it’s worth revisiting now that history is changing our course so rapidly. The moment in the movie is a gift, when there are no gifts. Nothing but destruction. In this sense it is better in context.
Caravaggio only did one fresco, Jupiter, Neptune, and Pluto, and there are a few reasons for that. His style, which focused on oil painting, didn’t really suit the large, fast-paced nature of fresco work. He wasn't formally trained in fresco techniques, and oil painting gave him more control over his dramatic light and shadow effects. Plus, Caravaggio's chaotic lifestyle (full of legal troubles and constant moving) didn't make it easy to commit to the long-term effort that frescoes require. Most of the commissions he got, especially from the Church and wealthy patrons, were for smaller oil paintings that he could do quickly. So, while it stands as his only fresco, it was probably more of a one-off experiment than a shift in his usual medium.
Frescoes in general required precise timing due to the nature of the medium. The technique involved painting on freshly applied wet plaster, meaning the artist had to work quickly while the plaster was still damp. Once the plaster dried, it would no longer accept the paint, so artists had to complete sections of the painting before moving on to the next. This time sensitive process meant that fresco artists had to be extremely skilled in planning their compositions, working efficiently within the window of opportunity before the plaster dried. The medium itself, while offering vibrant and lasting colors, also posed a unique challenge, requiring both technical expertise and time management.
One of the most memorable fresco scenes in a movie for me was in The English Patient. It really stick with me because of one of my own fresco discovery moments when the church of Santa Croce was closed to the public but I happened to get inside. They were doing some repair work on the frescoes by Agnolo Gaddi presenting stories of the Saints Antonio Abate, Giovanni Battista, Giovanni Evangelista and Nicola di Bari. The particular wall to the right of the impression of painted tile is something I have reproduced multiple times for commissions.
I’ve actually never seen The English Patient, but I know the frescoes you're talking about! The ones by Agnolo Gaddi in Santa Croce are amazing. It must’ve been so cool to get inside while they were being restored. The scenes of the saints are really beautiful, and it’s awesome that the wall with the painted tile impression has inspired your commissions. It’s crazy how certain moments like that stick with you!
Forever. You should see the scene prob easy to find on YouTube. It’s breathtaking. As far as the movie goes, it’s worth revisiting now that history is changing our course so rapidly. The moment in the movie is a gift, when there are no gifts. Nothing but destruction. In this sense it is better in context.
I did not realize Caravaggio only left us one fresco! What a grim reality 😐
Caravaggio only did one fresco, Jupiter, Neptune, and Pluto, and there are a few reasons for that. His style, which focused on oil painting, didn’t really suit the large, fast-paced nature of fresco work. He wasn't formally trained in fresco techniques, and oil painting gave him more control over his dramatic light and shadow effects. Plus, Caravaggio's chaotic lifestyle (full of legal troubles and constant moving) didn't make it easy to commit to the long-term effort that frescoes require. Most of the commissions he got, especially from the Church and wealthy patrons, were for smaller oil paintings that he could do quickly. So, while it stands as his only fresco, it was probably more of a one-off experiment than a shift in his usual medium.
Makes total sense!
Frescoes in general required precise timing due to the nature of the medium. The technique involved painting on freshly applied wet plaster, meaning the artist had to work quickly while the plaster was still damp. Once the plaster dried, it would no longer accept the paint, so artists had to complete sections of the painting before moving on to the next. This time sensitive process meant that fresco artists had to be extremely skilled in planning their compositions, working efficiently within the window of opportunity before the plaster dried. The medium itself, while offering vibrant and lasting colors, also posed a unique challenge, requiring both technical expertise and time management.