Caravaggio Masterpieces Recreated as ‘Living Paintings’ at the National Gallery

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To celebrate the critically acclaimed Beyond Caravaggio exhibition, on Friday 28 October two of the artist’s masterpieces were recreated as ‘living paintings’ in front of the National Gallery’s iconic building on Trafalgar Square.

In a National Gallery first, it commissioned renowned Italian performance troupe Quadri Plastici, to recreate The Taking of Christ (The National Gallery of Ireland, Dublin) using models, lights, props, and box frames together with music. Alongside there was a recreation of the National Gallery’s Salome receives the Head of John the Baptist. Both paintings are currently on display in Beyond Caravaggio.

These recreations pay homage to Caravaggio’s dramatic and revolutionary use of light, and provide viewers with a visually striking new way to view contemporary work inspired by the artist.

Quadri Plastici (translated as ‘plastic paintings’) is an Italian art form in which performer’s stage ‘living’ works of art. The tradition originated in the town of Avigliano more than 100 years ago and is still practiced to this day.