Simon Schama's Power of Art

It's Rome 1603, and images of Christ, Mary and the saints are beautiful and pure. Then Caravaggio starts to paint in a style that's earthier and more physical than anything seen before, with models taken from the streets, taverns, markets and brothels. He changes forever the sense of how real painting could feel, but to some this was precisely the problem.

Category

Art

Original air date

25/06/2007