Les Philosophes Society host Art Critic Andrew Graham-Dixon

Art critic and television presenter Andrew Graham-Dixon gave a fascinating talk on Caravaggio to the Les Philosophes Society on Wednesday 13 January.

Against a backdrop of Caravaggio’s paintings, Graham-Dixon talked about the violence in the artist’s life as well as the ground-breaking nature of his art. He argued that Caravaggio was criticising the Catholic Church in late sixteenth century Italy for its unchristian disinterest in the poor. Graham-Dixon spoke movingly about the paintings and helped us all appreciate them more deeply. The questions at the end suggested that students and staff were wrestling with the issue of how one and the same person could have both a refined sensibility and violent inclinations.