Raising of Lazarus Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio (1571-1610)
Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio – Raising of Lazarus
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Painter: Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio
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In 1608, the artist Caravaggio, while in Messina, becomes acquainted with a noble merchant. The wealthy merchant commissions him for a painting on a free subject. The painter has chosen the biblical story of the raising of Lazarus. Dark cave, a few men hold the body, lying earlier in the coffin for four days. Caravaggio preferred to work from life, so for the new painting he found people to pose.
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Description of Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio’s The Resurrection of Lazarus
In 1608, the artist Caravaggio, while in Messina, becomes acquainted with a noble merchant. The wealthy merchant commissions him for a painting on a free subject. The painter has chosen the biblical story of the raising of Lazarus.
Dark cave, a few men hold the body, lying earlier in the coffin for four days. Caravaggio preferred to work from life, so for the new painting he found people to pose. Moreover, according to legend, for authenticity he ordered to dig up the body of the recently deceased young man. The hired men flatly refused to approach the corpse, but the artist nevertheless insisted on a collective pose, in a burst of thirst for artistic fulfillment, even threatening the sitters with a knife.
A characteristic feature of Caravaggio’s painting is bright streams of light, cutting through the impenetrable black void. Like a searchlight, the rays of light line the surface of the skin of the naked Lazarus, highlighting the clothes, faces and limbs of the participants in the scene: Christ and the mourning people for the dead. This golden unearthly light seems about to bring Lazarus back to life. In the background, in the darkness, the gravediggers, who have so often seen death, turn their faces away so as not to see the oppressive spectacle again.
On the ground lie the bones and skull of an unnamed long-time death victim. And above, the living palm of Lazarus stretched out to the warm stream of light, surrendering, responding to Christ’s command. The relatives of the resurrected man have not yet had time to fully comprehend what has happened, with grief, dismay and confusion on their faces.
The story goes that a rich client was dissatisfied with the painter’s canvas. So it was presented to the brotherhood of crusaders. During its lifetime, "Resurrection of Lazarus" survived several earthquakes, after which the painting was successfully restored for the gallery of Messina.
In this famous masterpiece of religious painting, Caravaggio appears as a preacher of an indestructible faith in the eternity of life.
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The deceased’s body is pale and emaciated, draped in white linen that clings to its contours. A group of men struggle to keep the shroud in place, their expressions conveying a mixture of grief and awe. One man, positioned closest to the viewer, seems almost overwhelmed by the weight of his task, his face contorted with effort. Another figure, an older woman with deeply lined features, leans over the deceased, her hand resting on the body as if offering solace or lamenting the loss.
The artist employs a stark contrast between light and shadow – a technique known as tenebrism – to heighten the emotional intensity of the moment. A powerful beam of light illuminates the central figures, drawing attention to their faces and gestures while plunging the surrounding space into near darkness. This dramatic lighting creates a sense of theatricality, emphasizing the miraculous nature of the event being depicted.
The composition is tightly packed, with figures overlapping and crowding the foreground. This close proximity intensifies the feeling of immediacy and claustrophobia, drawing the viewer directly into the scene. The architecture of the chamber itself seems to press in on the action, further contributing to this sense of confinement.
Beyond the literal depiction of a resurrection, subtexts concerning faith, mortality, and divine power are present. The gestures of the central figure suggest not only authority but also compassion; his outstretched hand implies an act of intervention against death’s dominion. The expressions on the faces of those surrounding him reveal the complex emotions associated with witnessing such a profound event – hope mingled with disbelief, grief tempered by wonder. The darkness enveloping the scene can be interpreted as symbolic of the unknown and the mysteries that lie beyond human comprehension.