Summary
Mati and her magical sidekick Dada travel back in time to meet Caravaggio and discover dramatic paintings with strong spotlights and deep dark shadows. Together they explore his intense, realistic religious scenes and learn about Italy around 1600. A gentle, funny introduction to a great artist for young viewers.
Viewer safety
Some scenes are dramatic and a figure or two is nude — preview if that's a consideration for your class.
Our rating is a quick teacher-to-teacher guide — preview before showing.
Teaching resources
Discussion questions
Watch how Mati and Dada meet Caravaggio, then talk it over:
- What kind of art did Caravaggio make, and what made it stand out?
- What did you notice about Caravaggio's style — the colors, shapes, or lines they used?
- How did living in Italy around 1600 shape the art Caravaggio made?
- Which work by Caravaggio would you most want to see in real life? Why?
Quick work-a-long
Words to know: baroque, light and shadow, drama
Try it: shine a flashlight on an object in a dark room and draw the bright and dark parts. Then share one choice you made that Caravaggio might have liked.