The Life and Times of Caravaggio
Known as one the fathers of modern painting, Caravaggio was probably the most revolutionary artists of his time. He often went against the norm by depicting events of the past as if they were taking place in the present day and used models in a hitherto unheard of manner – pulling people from the streets and painting directly from life. He was famous for his use of light and shade in his paintings. It was said that he wouldn’t allow anyone to pose in daylight. He used light to capture form, create space and add drama to everyday scenes.
Caravaggio, whose real name was Michelangelo Merisi, was the first child of Fermo Merisi and Lucia Aratori. He was born in the autumn of 1571 into a violent and unstable world …show more content…
He later moved to Rome where he found work assisting other painters, many of them far less talented than he. In 1595, he struck out on his own and started selling his paintings through a dealer. His work soon caught the attention of Cardinal Francesco del Monte, who liked his paintings and set him up in his own house with room, board and a pension.
In 1597, Caravaggio was awarded the commission for the decoration of the Contarelli Chapel, a daunting assignment in which he was required to create three large paintings depicting separate scenes from St. Matthew’s life. He completed this work in 1601, provoking consternation from both the church and the public alike due to his presentation of St. Matthew in a far more realistic light than the traditional worshipful depictions.
Following the commission he received at the chapel, Caravaggio was later given several contracts to work in several chapels throughout Rome. The commission provided an exciting new direction for Caravaggio’s painting, one in which he would lift traditional religious scenes and cast them in his own dark interpretation. A few of his pieces were however rejected with some considering the dramatic intensity in the work he created vulgar and well beyond what was acceptable in his
Known as one the fathers of modern painting, Caravaggio was probably the most revolutionary artists of his time. He often went against the norm by depicting events of the past as if they were taking place in the present day and used models in a hitherto unheard of manner – pulling people from the streets and painting directly from life. He was famous for his use of light and shade in his paintings. It was said that he wouldn’t allow anyone to pose in daylight. He used light to capture form, create space and add drama to everyday scenes.
Caravaggio, whose real name was Michelangelo Merisi, was the first child of Fermo Merisi and Lucia Aratori. He was born in the autumn of 1571 into a violent and unstable world …show more content…
He later moved to Rome where he found work assisting other painters, many of them far less talented than he. In 1595, he struck out on his own and started selling his paintings through a dealer. His work soon caught the attention of Cardinal Francesco del Monte, who liked his paintings and set him up in his own house with room, board and a pension.
In 1597, Caravaggio was awarded the commission for the decoration of the Contarelli Chapel, a daunting assignment in which he was required to create three large paintings depicting separate scenes from St. Matthew’s life. He completed this work in 1601, provoking consternation from both the church and the public alike due to his presentation of St. Matthew in a far more realistic light than the traditional worshipful depictions.
Following the commission he received at the chapel, Caravaggio was later given several contracts to work in several chapels throughout Rome. The commission provided an exciting new direction for Caravaggio’s painting, one in which he would lift traditional religious scenes and cast them in his own dark interpretation. A few of his pieces were however rejected with some considering the dramatic intensity in the work he created vulgar and well beyond what was acceptable in his