La muerte de San Cayetano

Vaccaro employs a Caravaggesque chiaroscuro, using a single, directional light source to illuminate faces and drapery while plunging the surrounding space into deep darkness. The naturalistic rendering of flesh and fabric, combined with the dramatic interplay of light, reflects the early Baroque emphasis on emotional immediacy and theatricality.

Created around 1601, the painting emerged during Vaccaro’s early career in Naples, where he was in demand for religious commissions. It later entered the Spanish royal collection and, after several transfers, was acquired by the Museo del Prado, where it remains on display.

The work exemplifies the diffusion of Caravaggio’s visual language into southern Italy, where Neapolitan artists like Vaccaro adapted dramatic lighting to serve Counter‑Reformation narratives. By portraying a revered local saint in a visceral, humanized manner, the painting aligns with contemporary efforts to make religious experience more immediate for viewers.