Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1526889
Caravaggio On Dickie and Tom's first trip to Naples, Dickie introduces Tom to Caravaggio. He takes Tom to the 17th century palazzo Pio Monte della Misericordia to see The Seven Works of Mercy, painted in 1606. This was the only one of the many Caravaggios in the series that was the original masterpiece. All his other paintings featured in the series were copies or added in post by VFX. It was impossible to film Caravaggio's masterpiece at San Luigi dei Francesi in Rome, so we moved to Naples' Santa Maria la Nova, a deconsecrated Catholic church. The recreation of The Calling of St. Matthew, The Inspiration of St. Matthew and The Martyrdom of St. Matthew, 1602, are courtesy of VFX. Equally impossible was filming Caravaggio's David with the Head of Goliath, 1605, at Gallerie Borghese. For that scene, we filmed at Palazzo Taverna in the center of Rome. To portray the Gallerie Borghese, set decorator Alessandra Querzola built a pedestal, and brought in a copy of Bernini's Apollo and Daphne. David with the Head of Goliath was courtesy of VFX. In Palermo Caravaggio's The Nativity, 1609, was shot at Oratorio di San Lorenzo. The original painting had been stolen from the Oratorio in 1969, and a faithful copy was commissioned to replace it. To create the paintings of The Crucifixion of St. Peter and Ecce Homo as "works in progress," set decoration painter Valentina Troccoli used scholarly research to understand Caravaggio's painting process to deconstruct prints of the originals. (It is worth mentioning that the same Scenic Artist A. PIA MONTE DELLA MISERICORDIA, NAPLES. LOCATION PHOTO. B. GALLERIE BORGHESE, ROME, SHOT AT PALAZZO TAVERNA, ROME. PRODUCTION STILL. C. CARAVAGGIO'S THE NATIVITY, 1609, WAS SHOT AT ORATORIO DI SAN LORENZO, PALERMO. IT WAS STOLEN FROM THE ORATORIO IN 1969 AND A FAITHFUL COPY WAS COMMISSIONED TO REPLACE IT. David Gropman, Production Designer Karen Schulz Gropman, Alex Santucci, Super vising Art Directors Marco Furbatto, Briseide Siciliano, Adriano Giombini, Gianpaolo Rifino, Marc'Antonio Brandolini, Doug Huszti (NYC), Art Directors Francesca Agresti, Marco Cardilli, Francesca Del Cupolo, Emanuele Pellegrino, Jerome Martin (NYC), Assistant Art Directors Andrea Arces, Katya Blumenberg (NYC), Set Designers Francesco Sereni, Concept Illustrator Silvia Fontana, Antonia D'Orsi, William J. Hopper (NYC), Graphic Artists Alessandra Querzola, Stephanie Bowen (NYC), Set Decorators C A B