18th January 2024. 10.45am and 2.15pm. Simultaneous transmission a.m. only
Keith Bonser
Keith Bonser's presentation is a very personal account of how Caravaggio came into his life. This journey embraces the story of Caravaggio's life and paintings, and epitomises the ability of Art to inspire anyone.
(Please click on the blue print above to continue reading)
The core presentation is followed by an interactive open discussion on related topics. For example: The Betrayal of Christ; A painting ‘lost’ for almost 400 years, found by chance in Dublin 1990 ;
No body, no grave, no record of his death. How did Caravaggio die? Caravaggio and his models, including himself ; Did Caravaggio’s alleged bi-sexuality, trigger a sequence of events which directly led to his premature death? Malta; A year on the island which promised so much, but ended in disaster; Caravaggio and Costanza Colonna; A bond that helped him throughout his life and very nearly saved him….. but not quite.
Keith Bonser was a teacher and senior manager in education for 38 years. Retirement in 2008 gave him the opportunity to pursue a specific interest that has its origins in 1995. A weekend break in Dublin introduced him to Caravaggio. He has travelled extensively throughout Europe to see his paintings in situ, tracing his life story from the town of Caravaggio to the cities of Milan, Rome, Naples, and the islands of Malta and Sicily. He subsequently wrote a book on these experiences. Caravaggio came into his life completely by chance; his life has never been quite the same since.