Cleveland Musuem of Art (Its Free!)
Overview
The Cleveland Museum of Art houses a distinguished selection of European Baroque art, particularly from Italy, Spain, and France.
Italian Baroque art at the museum includes powerful religious compositions and dynamic portraits that reflect the influence of Caravaggio. Spanish Baroque works are marked by their realism and spiritual gravity, with highlights including paintings by Francisco de Zurbarán and José de Ribera, whose stark contrasts and unflinching depictions of saints convey a somber intensity.
French Baroque paintings, in contrast, blend elegance and classical order with emotional vibrancy. The museum features works by Nicolas Poussin and Claude Lorrain, whose landscapes and mythological scenes reveal a refined, intellectual approach to Baroque aesthetics.
This quick itinerary will focus Caravaggio and his direct influences that can be found in room 217 of the CMA.
Before you go
Admission is free, but Parking is $14 for non-members.
Be sure to check the pieces you’d like to see are on display (there is a link to each piece in the itinerary below.
Plan to eat at the museum! They have a more formal sit-down restaurant as well as a quick-serve cafeteria style restaurant with many options that is reasonably priced.
Itinerary
Entrance
After parking in the parking garage follow the signs to the entrance of the museum. You will pass through a metal detector and there will be a reception desk on the right where you can purchase tickets for special exhibits. There is no ticket necessary to see the paintings on this quick itinerary.
Walk into the main atrium and head to the right side and take the escalator up and continue walking strait until you reach the end of the glass hallway where there is a door into room 217.
As you enter the room walk down the two steps and head to your right and you will see our first piece.
Boy Drinking. Carracci 1583.
"Boy Drinking"(1582-83) by Annibale Carracci is the first piece we will take a look at on the itinerary. This genre scene is an early work by Carracci and is particularly notable for its naturalism, notice theway that the glass distorts the images. Also extremely interesting is the way Carracci's painting technique matches the subject matter. Meaning the matte, earthy colors and thick, rugged brushstrokes enhance the fact that the boy is an average citizen, (over) indulging and not a wealthy aristocrat. The Carraccis' (Annibale, Agostino and Ludovico) influence on Baroque art can't be overstated.
To the left of the Carracci is our next piece.
St. Peter Repentant (1545), LaTour
St. Peter Repentant (1645) by Georges de La Tour shows a wide-eyed St. Peter, with his hands clasped in grief, contemplating his denial of Jesus. We see the rooster to reinforce the Bible story that Peter denied that he was with Jesus three times before the cock crowed. LaTour is unique among famous Baroque artists in that the chronology of his paintings are generally unknown. Until the 20th century, many of his paintings were mis-attributed to Spanish Baroque artists.
Continue to the left for the next piece.
Samson and Delilah (1616) Gerritt von Honthorst
Our next piece is Samson and Delilah (1616) by Gerritt von Honthorst. This is a fantastic representation of the Utrecht Caravaggisti, as von Honthorst and several of his contemporaries finished their formal education in the Netherlands and then spent several years in Rome where they were heavily influenced by Caravaggio’s paintings. Upon their return to Utrecht, the popularized the style and became highly sought after, particularly for their use of chiaroscuro. The scene is lit by the visible candle where Delilah cuts the sleeping Samson’s hair. The look on the maid servant tells us to keep quiet so we do not awaken Samson.
Crucifixion of St. Andrew (c.1607) Caravaggio
Caravaggio’s The Crucifixion of St. Andrew stands out prominently among the works in the room. Acquired by the Cleveland Museum of Art in 1976, the painting had only recently been attributed to Caravaggio. After disappearing from historical records in 1653, it resurfaced centuries later in a convent in Spain and was published as an autograph work in 1972. How or when it arrived at the convent remains a mystery.
This painting presents a distinctive interpretation of St. Andrew’s martyrdom. Unlike the traditional X-shaped cross typically associated with him—a symbol that even bears his name—Caravaggio depicts him on a standard cruciform cross. It is believed that this deviation may have been suggested by the painting’s original patron.
The narrative of St. Andrew’s death is also unusual. According to tradition, he was bound to the cross rather than nailed, and he remained alive for several days, preaching to onlookers. His words began converting many to Christianity, which angered local officials. In response, they ordered him to be taken down and executed by other means. However, as he was being unbound, St. Andrew prayed to die on the cross like Jesus. Miraculously, he died at that very moment. Caravaggio captures the astonishment of the crowd in this scene—their shock evident as they witness his sudden death, just before his release.
Samson (1630) Valentin de Boulogne
Samson by Valentin de Boulogne presents a contemplative vision of the biblical strongman. Samson gazes beyond the viewer, as if reflecting on the chain of violent and tragic events that have just unfolded. He may have only recently wielded the jawbone of a donkey to kill 1,000 Philistines—a moment of brutal triumph that was also deeply personal.
The key to understanding this act lies in the lion pelt draped beneath his arm. Earlier, Samson had killed a lion with his bare hands. When he later returned to the carcass, he found a swarm of bees and honey inside. This bizarre encounter inspired a riddle that he posed to his wedding guests—a riddle that ultimately led to betrayal. When his bride coaxed the answer from hit, it set off a cascade of consequences: the death of his wife, his capture by his own people, and finally his violent escape from the Philistines using only a donkey’s jawbone.
This painting is one of de Boulogne’s final works, completed just two years before his untimely death. It is believed that Valentin used his own likeness for this introspective portrayal of the Old Testament hero. Commissioned by Cardinal Francesco Barberini, the painting contains subtle but deliberate nods to its patron: bees can be seen circling the lion’s pelt, and a golden bee-shaped clasp fastens Samson’s breastplate. These are clear allusions to the Barberini family crest, which famously features three bees on a blue field—firmly anchoring the biblical narrative in the context of 17th-century patronage and symbolism.
Danaë and the Shower of Gold (c1623) Orazio Gentileschi.
Further to the left you will find Danaë and the Shower of Gold (c1623) by Orazio Gentileschi. The subject draws from a tale in Ovid’s Metamorphoses, where King Acrisius of Argos locks away his stunning daughter, Danaë, in a desperate attempt to thwart a prophecy foretelling that her future son would be his undoing. Defying mortal barriers, Jupiter descends in a shimmering golden shower, impregnating Danaë and setting into motion the birth of Perseus—the legendary hero who ultimately fulfills the Oracle’s ominous prediction.
The Museum acquired this piece in 1970 with the understanding that it was the three paintings that Orazio had painted for Antonio Sauli’s Genoese Palazzo in the early 1620s. However, it was later discovered that the version in Cleveland is an autograph copy of the original. (Meaning Orazio painted it but it was not for Sauli.) The original is in the Getty Museum in Los Angeles.
This piece underwent significant restoration a few years ago, returning it to its former glory; interestingly, the restoration that occurred in the 1970s when it was purchased by the museum actually ended up diminishing the painting’s viewability over time.
The Vision of St. Jerome (1660) Giovanni Battista Langetti
Our last painting for the quick itinerary is The Vision of St. Jerome (1660) Giovanni Battista Langetti. Langetti is a lesser-known Baroque artist, he worked in Venice and his use of light to help create drama shows Caravaggio’s influence and the intense colors show the influence from Tintoretto.
This painting really stood out for me compared to most all other Baroque paintings of St Jerome because it is an intense action scene. Most paintings of St. Jerome I’ve seen have been with the St. looking inward, contemplating. Here Langetti gives us an Angel blasting his horn so loudly you can almost hear it. St Jerome is terrified by the noise and Langetti has caught him mid-reaction to the vision.
Otherwise, this depiction includes all the standard iconography of St.Jerome, the red Cardinal’s galero (hat), the books and skull and notably a lion. Two things of interest, its often said that St. Jerome was a Cardinal. He wasn’t, in fact the office of Cardinal didnt’ exist until the 6th century. However, Jerome was an advisor/secretary to Pope Damascus I. Also of interest is the lion the background. In the Golden Legend, it is said that St. Jerome tamed a lion by pulling a thorn out of its paw and in return, the lion lived at the monastery and helped with chores and protected the monastic donkey from other predators.
This concludes the quick itinerary for the Cleveland Museum of Art. The longer form with examine the Spanish and French Baroque artists featured at this fantastic museum.
