Caravaggio - paintings of armor and edged weapons 1590s-1610

[shayde78]

The Conversion of St. Paul; 1602

One can see a clearly represented hilt here with a simple, albeit large, side ring.

[shayde78]

The Taking of Christ; 1602

Here we can really start to see some of the detail portrayed in the representation of armor. I particularly like that the leather straps are clearly shown. The curl at the end is simply something that struck me as an extra touch of realism.

[shayde78]

The Sacrifice of Isaac; 1602/1603

I debated including this one as the knife shown is entirely simple. However, as the surviving examples we have from any historical period are those that skew toward the exceptional (and thus worth preserving through the ages), I felt it important to allow this humble tool be shown here. This may be considered a typical simple Italian shepherd's knife from the early 17th Century.

[shayde78]

The Crowning with Thorns; c. 1602/1603

Again, here is another good showing of armor. Additionally, I like that we see how one might wear their shirt with a cuirass.

[shayde78]

Here, there is not much in the way of weaponry displayed. The drawn rapier is mostly obscured. However, I included it to show the detail of the rapier frog, scabbard, and belt, as some may find that interesting.

[shayde78]

David with the Head of Goliath; c. 1606/1607

Remember when I mentioned the head of Goliath looks a bit like the painter himself? This is the first of two such renditions (see image dated 1609/1610 for the other). I'll let you judge of the likeness. As for the sword, even the fullering, the facets on the pommel, and some hints of additional decoration to the pommel are shown. This style may have been considered archaic by Caravaggio's time, and thus suitable to be used in a scene from antiquity.

[shayde78]

Judith Beheading Holofernes; date disputed (as early as 1598 - as late as 1607).

While placing this piece in time has been challenging, I chose to include it here as it fits to the later attribution. Regardless, it shows what I think is an attempt to portray an 'exotic' blade. However, such blades were frequently represented in Medieval manuscripts (see thread of images from the Nuremberg Chronicle ), and seems to have been particularly portrayed in the hands of characters from the Jewish scriptures (aka Old Testament). While you're checking out that other link, take a moment to compare the artistic differences between what could be achieved through early printing methods, and full-scale oil paintings, and the overall changes in artistic representations. The Chronicle was compiled about a century before the works shown in this thread.

Back to the blade in Judith's hand - it is beautifully rendered and, if recreated in the round, would surely be a functional knife. Once again, the fullers are clearly shown and, to me, demonstrates that the artist was well acquainted with the work of actual bladesmiths. In the other thread, Vitrix noted that such a blade resembles that used as a maker's mark in some instances. He speculated that this might represent the sword of God. As Judith is working to protect her people in this scene, perhaps that is not a coincidental choice by Caravaggio.