| Caravaggio is an extremely well known Italian painter | | | | Pilgrims for the San Agostino Church which ended up |
| who painted in the Realistic Baroque style of art. His | | | | being a scandal because the old people kneeling down |
| dramatic use of light and dark is revolutionary. Many | | | | had dirty feet and a filthy, torn cap. Other paintings |
| other painters have tried to paint like him and failed. | | | | were rejected entirely. |
| Caravaggio's real name is Michelangelo Merisi. He was | | | | Even though Caravaggio was constantly criticized, he |
| born in 1571 in the town of Caravaggio; this is where | | | | was still very successful. He became more and more |
| he got his professional name. His father was Fermo | | | | popular as a painter. During this time, however, he |
| Merisi, a steward and architect. At the age of eleven, | | | | had many run-ins with the law. He was arrested |
| Caravaggio was orphaned and apprenticed to the | | | | many times for various reasons. Other painters |
| painter Simone Peterzano for four years. | | | | accused him of several things; he wounded a soldier, |
| Some time between 1588 and 1592 Caravaggio | | | | threw stones at a Roman guard and wounded |
| moved to Rome and became an assistant to | | | | another man defending his mistress. Then he had a |
| Giuseppe Cesari, a pupil of Titian. He painted flower | | | | serious brawl over the score of a tennis game and |
| and fruit pieces for him which are now lost. After | | | | killed Ranuccio Tomassoni. |
| that, he moved from job to job working for other | | | | Because of what he did, Caravaggio fled Rome and |
| painters. This was a very unstable period in his life. | | | | hid with a relative of the Marquis of Caravaggio. He |
| After a while, Caravaggio decided to set out on his | | | | then hid in several other places and eventually ended |
| own and sell his paintings. | | | | up in Naples. In Naples, he painted Madonna of the |
| Caravaggio found a dealer that began to sell his | | | | Rosary and The Seven Works of Mercy. During this |
| paintings, Maestro Valentino. Valentino eventually | | | | time his painting style shifted, probably because of his |
| showed Caravaggio's paintings to Cardinal Francesco | | | | desperate state of mind. |
| Del Monte, who had great influence in the court. Del | | | | After this, Caravaggio moved from place to place a |
| Monte invited Caravaggio to come and live at the | | | | lot. He went to Malta, where he painted The |
| house of the cardinal and receive a pension. He | | | | Beheading of St. John the Baptist for a cathedral. |
| painted about 40 paintings for Del Monte, which | | | | Word of his crime reached Malta and Caravaggio was |
| mostly included paintings about adolescent boys. | | | | imprisoned, but soon escaped. He then went to Sicily |
| In 1597, Caravaggio was commissioned to paint the | | | | and painted The Resurrection of Lazarus and The |
| decoration of the Contarelli Chapel in the San Luigi dei | | | | Adoration of the Shepherds. Then he moved to |
| Francesi church in Rome. This caused him to become | | | | Palermo and painted the Adoration with St. Francis |
| very well known. For the church, he painted three | | | | and St. Lawrence. |
| very large paintings, St. Matthew and the Angel, The | | | | Caravaggio was eventually arrested when he went |
| Calling of St. Matthew and The Martyrdom of St. | | | | by boat from Naples to Rome. His boat stopped in |
| Matthew. In these paintings, he painted them in a | | | | Palo where he was arrested. However, he was |
| very contemporary, realistic way. This was not how | | | | released. When he was released, he found that the |
| saints were usually painted and this caused shock | | | | boat had already left along with everything he |
| among the public. They even made Caravaggio redo | | | | owned. He set out to overtake the vessel and |
| one of the paintings! | | | | arrived at Port Ercole where he died a few days |
| After he finished the church, Caravaggio had a | | | | later. He probably died of either pneumonia or a |
| swarm of people that wanted his paintings. Some of | | | | fever. |
| the paintings he did during this time are The | | | | Even though Caravaggio spent much of his life |
| Conversion of St. Paul, The Crucifixion of St. Peter, | | | | running from the law, he is still considered to be one |
| The Deposition of Christ and the Death of the Virgin. | | | | of the best painters of all time. His style is unmatched |
| Many of the paintings he did during this time caused | | | | and is still admired today. |
| violent outrages. He painted the Madonna with | | | | |
