The artist turned his studio in the camera obscura and used the light-sensitive materials

Scientists have long suspected that the famous Italian artist Michelangelo da Caravaggio (Michelangelo da Caravaggio) for creating a wonderful realistic canvases used photo equipment. Recently, on his canvases were found traces of mercury salts, which, as we know, is a light sensitive substance used in the manufacture of photographic film.

Researchers work great painter with great certainty say that Caravaggio was one of the first artists who used the technique «Dark Room» (or «camera obscura»). He has done in the ceiling of his workshop hole, the light of which covered his model. Then, the image projected on the canvas with the help of lenses and mirrors. Recently, researchers from the Institute of SACI Florence Lapuchchi Robert (Roberta Lapucci) stated that Caravaggio canvas curtains «layer» of the light-sensitive material in order to capture its image. «Photo» disappear after thirty minutes, and the painter was necessary during this time to make a sketch. For this purpose he used a mixture of white lead with various chemicals and minerals. These substances are shining in the darkness that had helped him write his canvases in the «camera obscura». Lapuchchi made the assumption that Caravaggio added to a mixture of powder of the firefly. In those years, this powder is used to create special effects in theaters.

One of the main components of the mixture was fluorescent mercury. We know that this is a poisonous substance has a detrimental impact on human health, including the work of the central nervous system. People whose body is constantly exposed to mercury, are often very irritable, and Caravaggio was no exception. The artist was famous for his violent temperament. He was arranged fights, and once even killed one of his enemies, a young man named Ranuchcho Tomassoni (Ranuccio Tomassoni).

Robert Lapuchchi believes that the idea of creating «photos» artist suggested his friend - the famous physicist Giovanni Battista della Porta (Giovanni Battista della Porta). Caravaggio much contact with scientists working in the field of optics.

According to Lapuchchi, a new discovery explains the fact that Caravaggio did not leave the preliminary outline. In addition, the theory suggests, why so many characters are left-handed artist's paintings. As a researcher, this is because when creating his works he used a mirror.

Lapuchchi worked with the British artist David Hockney (David Hockney), who in his book «secret knowledge» (2001) stated that the techniques used so many photos of artists. According to Hockney, «photographer» can be described not only the Caravaggio, but Antonis van Dyck (Anthony van Dyck), and Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres (Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres).

Material prepared Yulia Maksimova

Source: news.yahoo . com , artinvestment.ru