Death+of+the+Virgin

In 1601-6 Caravaggio painted Death of a Virgin. Caravaggio painted this piece while he was making a living in Rome. Death of a virgin was painted for a man named Laerzio Cherubini as a commission. It was painted with oil paints on canvas. To Caravaggio's surprise his art caused a bit of a controversy. The Catholic church did not accept the painting. They said Caravaggio's mistress had modeled for the picture as the virgin. They rejected this painting because it did not depict a virgin well. Caravaggio decided to abandon the traditional idea of a virgin and made it his own. This piece is very important because many say it is one of Caravaggio's best pieces. It is now respectfully residing in the louvre. He made an impact on the art of his time, because his work was energetic, bright, detailed, and combated the norm. He questioned the traditional idea of a sacred virgin by making her look similar to a prostitute.