Discovery

While talking about art, personal expression and interpretation a few days ago, the name Caravaggio came up. I had never heard the name before, but after some research, I recognize some of his work.

After looking around the Web Gallery, I discovered that the portrayal of his subject in many cases was quite shocking, especially for the time they were painted (1593 - 1610).

One that really had me staring was Judith Beheading Holofernes (1598). The graphic nature of the painting, the utter dismay on Holofernes' face and the determination of Judith is so well captured, it's amazing. I can only imagine the look on gallery viewers near the turn of the 17th Century staring at the piece in disbelief.

I remember standing in the Reina Sofía, seeing Miró for the first time. I felt like Keanu Reeves as I audibly uttered "Whoa."

I love that kind of discovery. It may have always been there, but you've experienced it for the first time.