(1573?–1610). Possibly the most revolutionary artist of his time, the Italian painter Caravaggio abandoned the rules that had guided a century of artists before him. He chose to paint realistically rather than idealize the human and religious experience.
He was born Michelangelo Merisi probably on Sept. 28, 1573, in Caravaggio, Italy. As an adult he would become known by the name of his birthplace. Orphaned at age 11, he was apprenticed to the painter Simone Peterzano of Milan for four years. At some time between 1588 and 1592, Caravaggio went to Rome and worked as an assistant to painters of lesser skill. About 1595 he began to sell his paintings through a dealer. The dealer brought Caravaggio to the attention of Cardinal Francesco del Monte.
Through the cardinal, Caravaggio was commissioned, at age 24, to paint for the church of San Luigi dei Francesi. In its Contarelli Chapel Caravaggio’s realistic naturalism first fully appeared in three large scenes he created of the life of St. Matthew: St. Matthew and the Angel, The Calling of St. Matthew, and The Martyrdom of St. Matthew. The works caused public outcry, however, because of their realistic and dramatic nature. From this point he would devote himself to traditional religious themes.
Despite violent criticism, his reputation increased and Caravaggio began to be envied. He had many encounters with the law during his stay in Rome. He was imprisoned for several assaults and eventually killed an opponent after a disputed score in a game of court tennis. Caravaggio hastily fled the city and kept moving between hiding places. He reached Naples, probably early in 1607, and painted there for a time, awaiting a pardon by the pope. His works during this time include The Seven Works of Mercy for the Chapel of Monte della Misericordia. Here there was a shift in his painting style. The dark and urgent nature of his paintings at this time must have reflected Caravaggio’s desperate state of mind.
Early in 1608 Caravaggio went to Malta and was received as a celebrated artist. Fearful of pursuit, he continued to flee for two more years, but his paintings of this time, including The Beheading of St. John the Baptist for the cathedral in Valletta, were among the greatest of his career. In 1610 he set sail from Naples to Rome, but he was arrested en route. After his release the boat that he was to board to continue his journey left without him, taking his belongings. Misfortune, exhaustion, and illness overtook him as he watched the boat depart. He collapsed on the beach and died a few days later on July 18, 1610.