121 x 120 cm / 48" x 48" Oil on board 2010 A Private Collection, New York
Description
Watson has referenced Caravaggio's 'The Entombment of Christ' in its entirety, in this spectacular and monumental painting. Caravaggio's tall rectangular format has been extended on the right hand side, accommodating the contemporary figure of Louie Larrinaga, altering the format to a perfect square.
A chiaroscuro light illuminates the cascade of mourners, who are quietly counterbalanced by Larrinaga, who is seated and facing away, dramatically lit by the bright screen of his Blackberry cupped within his hands. Larrinaga shares the same slab of marble which supports the group, rendering the startlingly realistic scene all the more convincing.
Our attention is drawn to the glowing Blackberry which is all important. In Caravaggio's lifetime the Vatican ultimately controlled information. Today the internet has become a powerful tool for disseminating information. A short time after Watson began this painting, the world learnt of the first Wikileaks cables.
