Making "L'impossibile" Possible
By Justin Sondak in Arts & Entertainment on Jan 4, 2006 10:44PM
The Loyola Museum of Art is garnering national attention for exhibiting the entire collection of images by Italian Baroque artist Caravaggio, the first exhibit of its kind in America. But the blockbuster hype you might expect from such an event is missing because the images are just that: images. This productive collaboration between Italian government and academia has been branded “una mostra impossibile,” roughly translated as “a project that’s a bitch and a half to assemble.” A team of Italian photographers, cameramen, and computer graphics experts spent more than two years figuring how to capture every vibrant detail of every available Caravaggio painting in high-resolution reproductions. Laser enlargers produced 69 slides equal in scale to the original works, which have been mounted, framed and displayed in Italy and Chicago.
Certainly an impressive feat, presenting a comprehensive survey of influential work practically and tastefully. This technology makes priceless works accessible to institutions, such as Loyola, who lack the resources of the Art Institute or The Met. No need to arrange loans from dozens of museums, shell out a small fortune to insurers, and worry about damaging the most fragile gems. But this exhibit arrives with a disclaimer: the images you're admiring are not adequate substitutes for the real thing.
We saw the exhibit this week and offer our guarded praise. We were impressed to see full-scale reproductions that captured Caravaggio’s vibrant portrayals of suffering and devotion while preserving the cracks and blemishes from the original canvases. Fantastic educational tools, these large photos greatly improve upon the grainy slides endemic to university art history departments. Digital reproductions provide clarity into the artist’s rough drafts and abandoned streams of consciousness. But viewing a flat-panel reproduction lacks the gravitas of standing before a 400 year-old canvas closely monitored by nervous museum guards.
As compelling as these reproductions are, shouldn’t an art object be the actual work of the artist, subject to our interpretation? Music and movie promoters continue to dread the rise of CDs, DVDs, and Internet bootlegs for undercutting profits and event attendance. Do exhibits such as Loyola’s herald a similar battle in the art world? Will art patrons come to see a watered-down museum experience as the norm?
We’re reminded of high school friends who, shunning overpriced Def Leppard tickets, stayed at home the night of the concert to listen to the band’s catalog. We weren’t convinced that they were convinced their experience was just as good, but this cheaper, more readily available experience was the best they could do at the time.
Caravaggio: una mostra impossibile! is at the Loyola Museum of Art, 820 N Michigan Ave, Tuesdays – Sundays until February 11. Admission is $6 general; $5 seniors; free to children, students and Military dependents. Tuesday admission is free for all. More information at www.luc.edu/luma.
"The Conversion of Saint Paul" and "Medusa" images via the exhibition catalog.