Michelangelo Merisi Da Caravaggio

Known as Caravaggio, this Italian painter spent most of his life in Rome. However, he moved around Naples, Malta, and Sicily during the last four years of his life.

Michelangelo Merisi Da Caravaggio

Early life

Known as the founder of modern painting, Caravaggio was born in the small town of Caravaggio, near Milan. He was the son of an architect. His family moved to Rome when his father died. In 1584, he was apprenticed to a painter named Simone Peterzano. During his time in Rome, he learned how to grind pigments for painting. He painted a series of half-length figures. He also mastered swordsmanship.

In the summer of 1576, a plague hit the town of Caravaggio, killing one-fifth of the population. Most of Caravaggio’s family members were killed. The town’s churchman, Monsignor Fantino Petrignani, offered him lodging. In 1595, he was a resident of Petrignani’s house.

During his time in Italy, Caravaggio came to be noticed by Cavaliere D’Arpino, a prominent member of the Roman society. He took Caravaggio into his household and provided him with art supplies. During this time, Caravaggio began to develop a reputation for his work. His paintings included subjects related to spiritual themes. He was particularly interested in still-life painting, especially the use of flowers and fruit.

At age 21, Caravaggio moved to Rome and became a fixture in the cosmopolitan art scene. He began to receive commissions from the eminent cardinal Francesco del Monte. His paintings aroused much controversy, although some critics saw his works as vulgar.

In 1606, Caravaggio engaged in a violent fight with a rival painter, Ranuccio Tomassoni. Afterwards, he was charged with libel. His name was spelled with an apostrophe, and he was given a formal pardon by Pope Pius V.

Paintings

During his time, Caravaggio’s work was criticized as vulgar and offensive. His dramatic chiaroscuro became known as tenebrism. But Caravaggio’s paintings had the effect of giving viewers the impression that the distant past was unfolding before them. His paintings of biblical scenes conveyed the common humanity of Christ’s followers.

He also developed a distinctive style that featured striking sexual subtext. His paintings of virgins were often painted as courtesans. He often reinterpreted traditional religious scenes to emphasise the poverty of Christ. He developed an eye for detail and an ability to render light over textures. He used extreme contrasts of light to heighten the drama of his works. He also developed an interest in still-life painting.

He specialized in paintings of half-length figures. He was influenced by the Venetian painters Titian and Leonardo da Vinci. He was a close friend of Francesco del Monte. He received his first public commissions from him.

In 1601, a wealthy jurist commissioned Caravaggio to paint the Death of the Virgin for his private chapel in a new Carmelite church. He included himself in the composition. The tomb in the painting is shaped like the altar. The painting includes a violin in the foreground, suggesting that there is another musician in the scene.

He continued to do well in his new home city of Messina. He met Mario Minniti, who lived in Syracuse. The two men had a long friendship.

Temperament

Known for his self-destructive nature, Caravaggio was a controversial Italian painter. Although his early works were frenzied, he eventually developed an original style of chiaroscuro. His paintings often feature torture and death. He pushed traditional religious themes into modernity with a sense of drama. His work influenced painters in Holland, Spain and France. His work was a source of inspiration for Theodore Gericault in France and Diego Velázquez in Spain.

He worked in Milan and Rome in the early 1590s. His Contarelli Chapel in Rome was decorated with three large paintings. They showed scenes from the life of St Matthew. His Denial of Saint Peter and the Martyrdom of Saint Ursula showed high drama. He was commissioned by the Monte della Misericordi to create the Seven Works of Mercy.

He was also commissioned to paint The Conversion of St Paul. He also painted the Madonna of the Rosary for Louis Finson. In 1604 he painted The Deposition of Christ. He was then exiled from Italy for a period of time. He then fled to Sicily. He later settled in the cosmopolitan community of Campo Marzio. He left an inheritance to his two remaining siblings. His work influenced Rembrandt in Holland and Theodore Gericault in France.

Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio was born in 1571. He was the eldest of four children. His mother was Lucia Aratori, a member of the Sforza family. His father was an architect and administrator of the household. His mother died in 1584.

Friendships

During the 17th century, Italian painter Caravaggio had many friendships. He lived in Naples, Italy, for a time, but later returned to Rome. His life was a tumultuous one. He was born in a tiny town in Lombardy. His family was connected to the powerful Colonna family. The family was a large influence in the political and Church world of the day.

As an apprentice, Caravaggio studied under the painter Simone Peterzano. Then, he moved to Milan. This was when his talent took off. He worked for lesser artists, and did errands for them. Eventually, he was hired to do paintings for local churches. He was also paid by the piece.

In 1603 he was accused of libel. His friend Prospero Orsi helped him to gain notoriety. He was then exiled to Sicily, where he was being pursued by an enemy. But he managed to flee. In the meantime, he wrote derogatory poetry about his rival painter, Ranuccio Tomassoni.

In the 1620s, a group of Catholic artists from Utrecht came to Rome. These artists, known as the Utrecht Caravaggisti, were profoundly influenced by Caravaggio. Their work depicted religious figures, as well as saints and the Madonna.

He became famous as a painter of half-length figures, with a special emphasis on fruits and flowers. He worked for local artists, including Bernardino Cesari and Giuseppe Cesari. He had a number of commissions in southern Italy.

Injuries

During the late 16th century, Italian painter Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio was famous for his revolutionary works. Although he was born and raised in Lombardy, Italy, his family relocated to Caravaggio in 1576 when the plague outbreak in Milan reached a peak. This move allowed the family to escape the outbreak.

In Milan, Caravaggio’s father worked for the Sforza family, one of the most influential families in Italy. His mother was distantly related to the local aristocracy.

When Caravaggio’s father died in 1577, the family moved to the countryside to avoid the plague. However, in 1592, when Caravaggio was 21, his mother died, and he lost his inheritance. He sold his father’s estate and left it to his two remaining siblings. His mother’s death was a bitter blow for the young artist.

In Rome, he had trouble with the law. In 1600, he was jailed for fighting with an officer. In 1603 he was accused of libel. He sought a pardon from pope Paul V. In 1608 he was expelled from the Knights of Malta, a religious military order similar to the Knights Templars.

In his early years, Caravaggio made experimental paintings, displaying a tendency to use dramatic shadows. His work was very popular with connoisseurs. He painted erotic half-length figures.

He received a number of commissions from Naples. He also visited the island of Sicily, where he was injured. In 1609, he was involved in a violent clash.

Reputation for erratic behavior

During the 16th century, Italian Baroque master Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio was notorious for his erratic behavior. His paintings often featured tumult and intense chiaroscuro lighting. He was also famous for his outrageous attire. He spent years living in exile in Naples, Sicily, and Malta.

He was a prolific painter who painted private works for wealthy art enthusiasts. He also completed numerous major commissions for altarpieces.

In 1606, Caravaggio fled Rome as an outlaw. After nine months, he returned to the city. He was a fixture in the Roman police records. He had fourteen recorded citations in a six-year period.

He was a skilled swordsman and a violent brawler. He made several trips to Sicily, and spent time in Naples, Italy, as well. During his time in Sicily, he was attacked by a group of unknown men, which left him permanently disfigured.

He was later convicted and jailed. He was released when a French ambassador intervened. But his time in exile in Naples ended with a series of violent attacks. He was attacked by four men and seriously injured. He was also attacked by a waiter. He threw a plate of artichokes in the face of the waiter.

Caravaggio was eventually arrested and imprisoned, and later died of a fever. He was then found in a French attic. His body was examined by scientists and found to have lead in it. It’s thought that the lead in his remains caused his erratic behavior.