Submitted Photo The 1891 Fredonia Opera House will present “Caravaggio — The Soul and The Blood,” an immersive journey through the life, works and struggles of the Italian master Michelangelo Merisi di Caravaggio, this Thursday at 7 p.m. as part of its Art & Architecture On Screen Series. A special cinematic exploration of the misunderstood artist’s work and inspiration, the production allows viewers to go deep inside the mind and soul of Caravaggio, empathizing with, if not understanding, his impulses and fears. It is sponsored by Fredonia Place.

The 1891 Fredonia Opera House will present “Caravaggio — The Soul and The Blood,” a special cinematic exploration of the misunderstood artist’s work and inspiration, this Thursday at 7 p.m. as part of its Art & Architecture On Screen Series.

“Caravaggio – The Soul and The Blood” is an immersive journey through the life, works and struggles of the Italian master Michelangelo Merisi di Caravaggio. His existence, no less than his art, is characterized by lights and shadows, contrasts and contradictions, genius and sobriety. A revolutionary artist, he was often not so beloved by contemporaries. He traveled Italy in search of luck or perhaps in search of himself, escaping the enemies that he always found at his passage. Milan, Venice, Rome, Naples, Malta, Sicily. His death seems a twist of faith: he died in Porto Ercole, one step away from Rome, one step away from salvation.  

Roberto Longhi, a Caravaggio expert, explores in the artist’s masterpieces the echo of personal experiences and the expression of the human state, both physical and emotional. These evocative moments — thanks to the use of light and cinematic techniques – allow viewers to go deep inside the mind and soul of Caravaggio, empathizing with his impulses and fears.

Individual tickets to “Caravaggio – The Soul and The Blood” are $15, ($10 students). A special Live in HD Series flexible subscription of eight tickets that can be used however you want — one at a time to eight different events, all at once for eight people, or anything in between — is $116. Tickets may be purchased in person at the Opera House Box Office or by phone at 679-1891, Tuesday-Friday, 1-5 p.m. Tickets may be purchased online anytime at www.fredopera.org.

The Art & Architecture Series is sponsored by Fredonia Place. Support also comes from the United Arts Appeal of Chautauqua County.

The 1891 Fredonia Opera House is a member-supported not-for-profit organization located in Village Hall in downtown Fredonia. For a complete schedule of events, visit www.fredopera.org.