The Seven Works of Mercy (Caravaggio)
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| Artist | Caravaggio |
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| Year | 1607 |
| Type | Oil on canvas |
| Dimensions | 390 cm × 260 cm (150 in × 100 in) |
| Location | Pio Monte della Misericordia, Naples |
The Seven Works of Mercy (Italian: Sette opere di Misericordia), also known as The Seven Acts of Mercy, is an oil painting by Italian painter Caravaggio, circa 1607. It is housed in the church of Pio Monte della Misericordia in Naples. Originally it was meant to be seven separate panels around the church however Caravaggio produces arguably his greatest masterpiece by combining all seven Works of Mercy in one composition. John Spike notes that the angel at the center of Caravaggio’s altarpiece transmits the grace that inspires humanity to be merciful.
The Seven Acts of Mercy
1. Bury the dead; In the background two men carry a dead man (you can see his feet)
2 & 3. Visit the imprisoned & Feed the hungry; On the right a daughter visits her imprisoned father and gives him milk from her bosom.
4. Shelter the Homeless; A Pilgrim (you can tell by the shell in his hat 3rd from the left) seeks shelter from an innkeeper on the left.
5. Visit the sick; The beggar being given the robe is crippled and pulls himself along on the ground as St Martin greets him and clothes him.
6. Clothe the naked; St Martin 4th from the left has torn his robe in half and given it to the beggar.
7. Give drink to the thirsty; On the left Samson (second from the left) drinks water from the jawbone of an ass.
John Spike also notes that the choice of Samson as an emblem of Giving Drink to the Thirsty is so peculiar as to demand some explanation. The fearsome scourge of the Philistines was a deeply flawed man who accomplished his heroic tasks through the grace of God. When Samson was in danger of dying of thirst, God gave him water to drink from the jawbone of an ass. It is difficult to square this miracle with an allegory of the Seven Acts of Mercy since it was not in fact the work of human charity.
[edit] References
- John Spike, with assistance from Michèle Kahn Spike, Caravaggio with Catalogue Raisonné of the Paintings on CD-ROM, Abbeville Press, New York (2001) ISBN 978-0-7892-0639-8
- Ralf van Bühren: Die Werke der Barmherzigkeit in der Kunst des 12.–18. Jahrhunderts. Zum Wandel eines Bildmotivs vor dem Hintergrund neuzeitlicher Rhetorikrezeption (Studien zur Kunstgeschichte, vol. 115), Hildesheim / Zürich / New York: Verlag Georg Olms 1998. ISBN 3-487-10319-2
