Incredulity of Saint Thomas by Caravaggio was created in 1601. The painting is in Schloss Sanssoucci, Potsdam. The size of the work is 107 x 146 cm and is made as an oil on canvas.
The composition, based on an episode of the Gospel of John (John 20:24-29), is kept in dark brown tones, the central figures Christ and Thomas are illuminated and emphasized by a light coming in from the left. Christ, depicted with pale skin and a white robe, guides the hand of the apostle to convince him of his resurrection, which he had previously doubted. Only by touching Christ’s stigmata did Thomas allow himself to be persuaded to believe in the miracle that had occurred. Two other disciples stand behind Thomas and follow what is happening – just as spellbound and with a frown. By dispensing with additional, explanatory details or the design of the background, the four figures appear almost monumental, the viewer concentrates on the characters and the events, which he himself seems to be witnessing. (Read more in Schloss Sanssoucci in Deutsch)
About the Artist: Italian painter Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio was born in Milan. During the final four years of his life he moved between Naples, Malta, and Sicily until his death. His paintings have been characterized by art critics as combining a realistic observation of the human state, both physical and emotional, with a dramatic use of lighting, which had a formative influence on Baroque painting. Caravaggio employed close physical observation with a dramatic use of chiaroscuro that came to be known as tenebrism… Read more
