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College of Arts and Sciences

Caravaggio: A Radical Approach to the Truth  

A photo of religious artwork.The Department of Catholic Studies in collaboration with the G. K. Chesterton Institute for Faith & Culture proudly present "Caravaggio: A Radical Approach to the Truth," a lecture by David López Ribes. 

"...the artist is a person who communicates something...the moment of creation is the moment of communication. It is when the work has passed from mind to mind that it becomes a work of art." — G.K. Chesterton

About the Lecture

Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio (1571-1610), a Milanese painter known as simply Caravaggio, was active in Rome for most of his artistic life. During the final four years of his life, he moved between Naples, Malta, and Sicily until his death. As a Baroque painter, he is a reference in the cultural response of the Counter-Reformation to the Protestant principles of Luther.

At this lecture, experience an approach to the work of Caravaggio, the first to use the technique known as "tenebrism," through the perspective of the thoughts and experience of contemporary painter, David López Ribes, at the dawn of the third millennium. Join us as López invites the work of Caravaggio, Velazquez, and Vermeer into dialogue with the thought and action of St. Charles Borromeo and Gutenberg, integrating the internet, Instagram, TikTok and the metaverse.

About the Speaker

David López Ribes is a Spanish painter and multidisciplinary artist. He lives and works in the New York area. López is the winner of the Pontifical Academies Prize in 2012, awarded by Pope Benedict XVI, for his contribution to Christian Humanism in the contemporary world.

About Catholic Studies

Catholic Studies at Seton Hall University offers an innovative, interdisciplinary curriculum for students of any creed who are interested in deepening their knowledge of Catholicism’s rich intellectual tradition and living heritage. Combining the study of history, philosophy, theology, literature, art, sociology, and other disciplines, Catholic Studies focuses on the Church's dialogue with culture and encounter with the world. Students interested in Catholic Studies have the option to pursue a major, minor, or certificate that complements and enhances the university's other degree programs and fields of study. Over 20 years the academic program and its variegated activities have stayed true to and fulfilled the Catholic mission and vision of the University. For more information, please contact Ines Murzaku, Ph.D., or Gloria Aroneo.

About the G. K. Chesterton Institute for Faith & Culture

The G. K. Chesterton Institute for Faith & Culture at Seton Hall University, South Orange, N.J. was founded in 1974 by Father Ian Boyd, C. S. B.. Its purpose is to promote the thought of G. K. Chesterton and his circle and more broadly, to explore the application of Chestertonian ideas in the contemporary world. The Institute’s work consists of conferences, lecture series, research, and writing. The Chesterton Review, founded in 1974, has been widely praised both for its scholarship and for the quality of its writing. The journal was founded by Father Ian Boyd, C. S. B., and is edited by Dermot Quinn, D.Phil. It includes a wide range of articles not only on Chesterton himself, but on the issues close to his heart in the work of other writers and in the modern world. It has devoted special issues to C. S. Lewis, George Bernanos, Hilaire Belloc, Maurice Baring, Christopher Dawson, Cardinal Manning, the Modernist Crisis, J. R. R. Tolkien, Fantasy Literature, Fantasy Literature, Special Polish Issue, Special Charles Dickens issue, the most recent "Special Conversion Issue," and many others. For information about the Institute and The Chesterton Review please contact [email protected] or visit the Chesterton webpage.

Categories: Arts and Culture, Faith and Service