Has this work ever caused a scandal?
KWES-toh-peh-rah ah MY fat-toh skan-DA-loh.
When you know or suspect an artwork has a controversial history. Many Renaissance and Baroque works were rejected or censored by the Church. This opens fascinating discussions.
Ha mai fatto scandalo uses the present perfect with mai (ever) — 'has it ever caused a scandal'. Scandalo means scandal. Fare scandalo is a fixed expression meaning to cause a scandal or outrage.
È stata censurata dalla Chiesa?
Was it censored by the Church?
Many Counter-Reformation works were modified or rejected.
L'artista fu perseguitato per quest'opera?
Was the artist persecuted because of this work?
Some artists faced serious consequences.
C'è stata qualche controversia sulla sua attribuzione?
Has there been any controversy about its attribution?
About disputed authorship.
Caravaggio (1571-1610) was the most controversial Italian painter of his era. His realistic, unidealized depictions of sacred subjects shocked contemporaries. He was also a murderer, spending his last years as a fugitive — his turbulent life added to the mythology around his paintings.