I was so excited to be able to put this last, very special, Top Five list together for this year! Unfortunately, I don’t think I’m going to be able to have this particular countdown every single year, because 2023 is going to have a very very low number of Caravaggios for us, if any at all, due to the lack of Euro travel, and no domestic travel planned (yet) for this purpose. Hopefully we can squeeze in a trip to see at least one painting this year, but for now, let’s countdown my favorite Caravaggios that we saw in 2022. We saw a total of eight paintings, plus one that is disputed. Check out the whole story of why we hunt for Caravaggio paintings here! Disclaimer: This list reflects the opinions of Aukse only, although Brian’s top five are somewhat similar. Maybe I will ask Brian to do a guest post!

5. John the Baptist (disputed), Valletta, Malta

OK, so it might be a little controversial to put this painting on my Top Five list for the year, but for me, this was a cool find, not only because it was a surprise discovery (we had no idea it would be at the Muza Gallery when we were there), but it was also so interesting to read about why and how some folks believe that it is an authentic Caravaggio and some do not. Rather than taking it for granted, it was exciting to find a disputed painting, and it was beautiful to look at as well, whether or not it’s a Caravaggio. John the Baptist is a massively popular Catholic figure in Malta, and there are lots of depictions of him in art there. This rendering of young JtB is lovely and really reminds me of Caravaggio’s earliest works, even though it was painted late in his life. It definitely could use some polishing up!

4. The Taking of Christ, Dublin, Ireland

This painting, at the National Gallery of Ireland, was really cool for a lot of different reasons. One of my favorite reasons is that Caravaggio himself, as a self-portrait, is the guy holding the lantern and providing the light in the painting. How meta is that? There is a massive amount of symbolism just in this one scene, and it was really nice to just sit there and admire it. The face of Jesus is just so dang sad, even though he knew this would happen, and he knows what is going to happen. Look at those furrowed brows! We both loved it!

3. Beheading of St. John the Baptist, Valletta, Malta

Two paintings of John the Baptist in one list? Believe it! This painting, the largest of all of Caravaggio’s paintings, is often referred to as Caravaggio’s masterpiece. Painted for the Knights of St. John, it is located in St. John’s Co-Cathedral in Valletta, Malta. This piece is massive, and is one of the only paintings actually signed by Caravaggio. It really is incredible, and the Co-Cathedral is super proud of its Caravaggio paintings, which was nice to see. We loved coming here to see one of the best Caravaggio paintings!

2. Martha and Mary Magdalene, Detroit, USA

I absolutely adored this painting at the Detroit Institute of Arts. It was lighted properly, with no glare on the glass, and you could see every detail of the painting clearly. The lighting within this painting is also really stellar, with Mary all lit up with God’s grace as she undergoes her conversion. Caravaggio uses this model (a prostitute!) quite a lot, and she shows up in the number one painting of the year too. You can see why, though. She is beautiful, pensive, sexy, and he really gets her to convey so much emotion in this one scene. Way to go, Detroit, for acquiring this incredible work of art. Too bad you don’t even have a post card or anything in your gift shop about it!

1. St. Catherine of Alexandria, Madrid, Spain

Easily my favorite of the year, and Brian’s, is St. Catherine of Alexandria which is hanging in the Thyssen-Bornemisza museum in Madrid. Boy, the colors in this painting are really stunning, and Caravaggio uses the same model as in the prior painting. She shows up in a lot of Caravaggio’s work for good reason. Symbolism abounds in this painting, telling you the story of St. Catherine and her martyrdom. St. Catherine’s martyrdom, and the months and weeks leading up to it are so interesting, I highly recommend you read about it. This painting was so incredibly stunning we were moved to search her up right then and there while viewing it. This painting embodies our entire motivation to search for all of the Caravaggios in the world. It’s beautiful. It’s provocative. It’s colorful. Its light and shadows are masterful. Have you started on your Caravaggio hunt yet?