David Henty Art Forger Monthly Newsletter

November 2024

In October’s newsletter I spoke about my excitement of visiting the National Gallery for Van Gogh’s exhibition ‘Poets and Lovers’. The whole rare after-hours experience didn’t disappoint. The exhibit features over 50 pieces from Van Gogh’s later years, highlighting the artist’s fascination with everyday life, landscapes, and people, which evoke the complex beauty of his world. This private viewing allowed me to linger at each piece, immersing myself in the intimate and poetic perspectives Van Gogh created.

This November also holds great excitement, a four-day Caravaggio odyssey in Rome, immersing myself in the intensity and drama of his masterpieces. Here’s a sneak peek at the pictures I shall be tracking down:

Luigi dei Francesi, where the stunning Contarelli Chapel houses Caravaggio’s The Calling of Saint Matthew, The Martyrdom of Saint Matthew, and Saint Matthew and the Angel. Witnessing Caravaggio’s profound ability to transform biblical scenes into powerful dramas.

Sant’Agostino to admire Madonna di Loreto, one of his deeply human depictions of religious figures.

Palazzo Barberini, to view the iconic Judith Beheading Holofernes, studying Caravaggio’s dramatic intensity in breathtaking detail.

Galleria Borghese, where David with the Head of Goliath and Boy with a Basket of Fruit await. Caravaggio’s talent for portraying vulnerability and tension in equal measure.

Palazzo Doria Pamphilj, Rest on the Flight into Egypt, a rare example of Caravaggio’s use of pastoral elements, along with Magdalene in Ecstasy, a work famous for its moving portrayal of spiritual surrender.

Capitoline Museums, where The Fortune Teller and St. John the Baptist showcase Caravaggio’s exploration of human emotion through meticulous realism.

The final masterpieces Santa Maria del Popolo, where The Conversion of Saint Paul and The Crucifixion of Saint Peter reveal the artist’s mastery of light and shadow.

I also very much look forward to meeting those of you whom replied to the open house on the 24th November. 

See you all then!