Carvaggio and Bernini

The paintings of Carvaggio and the sculptures of Bernini are alike in that they depict theatrical elements of religion. While Bernini really introduced dramatic theatricality, it was Carvaggio who incorporated theatrical elements into his paintings. In The Last Supper at Emmaus, Carvaggio depicts Jesus blessing the bread and the others around him in shock as they are finding out it is Jesus himself blessing their meal. There is a sense of theatricality in this in that of their faces and would be movements. Bernini adds in dramtic theatricality in his sculpture of David taking out his sling shot. He captures the dramatic moment in which David encounters Goliath and illustrates the incredible task that is at hand for David. These two artisits capture the theatricality of Biblical scenes in ways other artisits had not done before them.