Caravaggio’s The Calling of St Matthew, 1599-1600, with chiaroscuro — contrasting darks and lights

The followers of the Baroque artist Caravaggio were a serious lot.  Dubbed the Caravaggisti, they delved into explorations of deep shadow and the metaphors of light, following the master’s path.  Of course, they mostly lived in the 1600s in Holland and Flanders, as well as Northern Europe.

Georges De La Tour, Magdalen with the Smoking Flame, c. 1640, a Caravaggisti

But you may be surprised to learn we have a Caravaggisti in our midst–Joy Bush.

Caravaggio as Sick Bacchus, 1593

Now showing at the Da Silva Gallery in New Haven, you, too, can immerse in her inky blacks and note the extraordinary color that emerges in the light.  She’s not fascinated by religious iconography or even Caravaggio’s scenes of debauchery.

No, she’s interested in toys.  Me, too!

She gives them serious names; she treats them seriously.  I’m sure you see the religious significance of this stuffed elephant.

But really.  These photographs are just plain fun.  My kind of Caravaggisti!