Caravaggio, real name, Michelangelo Merisi (1571 – 1610)
Caravaggio was an Italian artist, born in Milan on 29th September 1571. His father, Fermo Merisi, was an administrator, architect and decorator to the Marquis of Caravaggio, a town 35 km away from Milan. In 1584, Caravaggio started an apprenticeship under the Milanese artist, Simone Peterzano and on completion, he moved to Rome where he remained for most of his artistic life. Caravaggio developed a revolutionary style, painting realistic, often dark and tortured figures and immersing them in dramatic lighting, (chiaroscuro), now referred to as tenebrism. His innovative approach had a profound effect on the new Baroque style, (Baroque emanated from Mannerism).
Influence
Caravaggio influenced a large number of prominent artists, including Peter Paul Rubens, Jusepe de Ribera, Lorenzo Bernini and even Rembrandt. Many young, ambitious artists would copy his techniques, and this became known as Caravaggism. Artists that were part of the Caravaggisti included, Artemisia and Orazio Gentileschi. There was a movement in the Dutch city of Utrecht known as the, Utrecht Caravaggisti, one such member of this group was artist, Dirck van Baburen.
Violence
Although Caravaggio was recognised as an extremely gifted artist, he had a darker side to his personality, he was violent and provocative and was notorious for brawling and he made many, dangerous enemies throughout his life. Some of his crimes were very serious and he was jailed numerous times. In 1606, he killed, gangster, Ranuccio Tomassoni, which led to Caravaggio being sentenced to be beheaded for murder, and it was decreed that anyone who recognised him, could carry out the sentence. Many of his following paintings depicted severed heads, often his own. Caravaggio was forced to flee Rome, he moved just south of the city and then moved to Naples, Malta and Sicily. Wherever he went, his violent past followed. He was counting on his powerful friends in Rome to secure him a pardon which did seem imminent.
Death
There is much controversy over how Caravaggio died, some say he was murdered by one of his many enemies in a revenge attack and others say he died of illness. It is believed he died on 18th July 1610, he was 38 years old.
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