January 05, 2024

Fillide Melandroni

43 minutes

Listen to ArtMuse’s episode on Fillide Melandroni. Fillide was the most consistent model that Caravaggio ever used and became an important figure in his life. She could pose as Saint Catherine one day and Judith the next, but Fillide herself was just as fierce as the biblical heroines she modeled as; a fearlessly confident prostitute with a crooked hand and gaze that could pierce as sharply as a sword.

Fillide’s appearance in Caravaggio’s works coincided with the launch of the style he is best known for: the dark and violent scenes painted with such bravado that they continue to shock viewers today. Fillide’s spirited presence in these works was just as responsible for the development of Caravaggio’s matured artistic voice as Caravaggio himself and her role in informing his artistic practice deserves recognition.

Her story includes romance, violence, murder, and exile, but most of all, it is the story of an independent woman who was able to climb the ranks of Rome’s social world and work her way from poverty to luxury, through her own hard work and personal drive.

ArtMuse is produced by Kula Production Company.

Please FOLLOW and RATE ArtMuse on Spotify and SUBSCRIBE and REVIEW our show on Apple Podcasts.

Instagram/ Website/BuyMeACoffee

Be sure to follow ArtMuse on Instagram & TikTok. Donate to ArtMuse HERE.

ArtMuse is produced by Kula Production Company.

Today’s episode was written by host Grace Anna.

There are accompanying images, resources and suggestions for further reading on the ArtMuse website and Instagram.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

...more