BY KAREN BOSSICK

Delve into the story behind the masterpieces of Baroque painter Michelangelo Caravaggio when The Community Library screens Caravaggio, a 2025 documentary from Seventh Art Productions – Exhibition on Screen.

The film will be screened at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, July 7, at The Community Library in Ketchum. The program is free but registration is requested at https://thecommunitylibrary.libcal.com/event/16035241.

Caravaggio’s masterpieces are some of art’s most instantly recognizable. No one else uses his signature blend of dramatic light, intense naturalism and bold, striking figures. His astonishing paintings have captivated audiences for centuries.

One of Caravaggio’s most beloved works was “The Beheading of Saint John the Baptist.”

But what do these masterpieces reveal about the man behind the brush?

In Caravaggio, multi-award-winning filmmakers David Bickerstaff and Phil Grabsky delve into the hidden narratives of Caravaggio’s life, piecing together clues embedded within his incredible art. The intriguing self-depictions within his works — sometimes disguised, sometimes in plain sight — offer a rare window into his psyche and personal struggles.

He was a masterful painter, for instance. But he also was touchy, killing a man in a brawl and escaping a death sentence by fleeing to Naples.

His works often featured violent struggles, torture and even death.

Five years in the making, this is the most extensive film ever made about this revolutionary artist. With first-hand testimony from the artist himself on the eve of his mysterious disappearance, this film reveals Caravaggio as never before

“This is our third Exhibition on Screen film at The Community Library,” said Martha Williams, director of programs and education for the Library. “In the past few years, we’ve screened Vermeer: The Greatest Exhibition, which brought a landmark exhibition at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam to audiences around the world. And we screened Dawn of Impression: Paris 1875, made in collaboration with the Musee d’Orsay and National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C.

“These films bring exhibitions and art works from around the world to our little corner of Idaho and (have attracted full houses) at the Library, so we’re excited to bring another screening to town.”