As Caravaggio's art comes to Mumbai, here's why you can also celebrate MV Dhurandhar

(From left) Magdalene in Ecstasy, 1606; a visitor to the gallery views MV Dhurandhar’s Untitled (Union of Usha and Aniruddha) and Untitled (Outraged Banasura). Pics/Kirti Surve Parade

For a modern individual whose consciousness is saturated by hi-definition images, the impact and drama of Caravaggio requires relearning. It is a good thing that L'invenzione della luce-The invention of light: Caravaggio's ‘Magdalene in Ecstasy' will remain on display at Dr Bhau Daji Lad Museum in Mumbai till early November.

Presented by the Dr Bhau Daji Lad Museum, alongside the Consulate General of Italy in Mumbai and the Istituto Italiano di Cultura (IIC) Mumbai, the exhibition is curated by Andrea Anastasio and Tasneem Zakaria Mehta. It marks the first time a Caravaggio masterpiece is in the city. IIC director Francesca Amendola reveals that the work belongs to a private collection, and not any museum, for the public to view otherwise.

Caravaggio and MV Dhurandhar. Pics Courtesy/Wikimedia Commons

Walter Ferrara, Consul General of Italy writes of the work, "It is a light that does not simply illuminate, but reveals: divine ecstasy and human fragility" Managing trustee and director of the Museum, Mehta admits when the opportunity arose a month ago, she realised she could let go. Between the infamous Mumbai monsoons and the upcoming Art Deco centenary celebrations in November, the museum had enough logistical challenges to overcome. Then again, Caravaggio has never been easy.

The iconoclast

Born in 1571, Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio, or Caravaggio as he was known, belonged to the Baroque era of Western art history. However, his life and artistic education bridges the transition from the Renaissance to the Baroque. His use of tenebrism - the contrast of light and dark to heighten drama - reflects his own personality traits of a rebellious man of the street. "He is an artist who brings his own understanding, experiences and existential dimension to the painting. That's why you might read that Caravaggio is the first modern artist," observes Anastasio.

Tasneem Zakaria Mehta, Andrea Anastasio and Francesca Amendola

Dated to 1606 (four years before the artist's death), the painting captures Mary Magdalene in the cave of Sainte-Baume in Provence, France where she spent 30 years in repentance. The artist captures the moment of ecstasy when she was visited by angels. Incidentally, these were also the years Caravaggio himself was on the run, accused of killing a man in a fight. The work itself was lost, and resurfaced only in 2014. This context only adds further drama to the story.

The Italian curator says, "It [the painting] has a very unique asymmetry in its compositional aspect. Three-quarters of the body is leaning towards the viewer. This generates a presence, as if the viewer is witnessing it in real time. There is a physicality that is so invasive and radical; the body exists in the vacuum of a dark background. This really emphasises the new way of composing an image."

The conversation

Though by itself Caravaggio would be just as arresting, the exhibition hosts him alongside MV Dhurandhar's Untitled (Union of Usha and Aniruddha), and Untitled (Outraged Banasura) from the collection of Namita and Rahul Bhandare, and the DAG collection.

Mehta, who once wrote an essay on Dhurandhar's works, observes, "The works capture divine love. Dhurandhar paints women in a sensual way. Usha, her head thrown back and eyes closed as she approaches Aniruddha, is an expression of divine love. Then, the second painting is that of Banasura. He represents all that is base with human nature. The defeat of his armies by Lord Krishna, is the transcendence of the ego and obstacles through love."

Like Caravaggio, the 19th Century artist applied Western realism to an ancient myth. Placed against the depiction of Mary Magdalene, these works form a conversational thread across religions, cultures, artistic movements, and time.

For Amendola, the drama in both styles stands out. "Both artists seem realistic and natural, but through their techniques, they reach a high theatrical effect. Both narrate a specific moment in the story, and freeze that moment to powerful effect." An effect not to be missed.

TILL November 2; 10 am to 5.30 pm
AT Kamalnayan Bajaj Special Exhibitions Gallery, Dr BDL Museum, Byculla East
ENTRY Museum ticket prices apply