Caravaggio

1103 Words3 Pages

Micheangelo Merisi da Caravaggio was the son of Fermo di Bernardino Merisi and Lucia Aratori. Caravaggio lost his father, who passed away when he was eleven years old along with his, 3 other siblings. When Caravaggio was 12, he was appointed to Milanese Painter, Surano Peterzano. During this internship, he learned basic techniques, such as selecting brushes, mixing paints, and how to build frames. During this time, he learned the Lombard and Venezian style.

Around 1588 to 1592, Caravaggio relocated to Rome, Italy. He eventually moved to an area that was considered to be poor. However, it was a cosmopolitan area that was rich in artistic value. Caravaggio was never successful in keeping a job due to his anger problems. This was the time he started doing minor artist work, like painting backgrounds and still lives.

In 1595, Caravaggio decided to go solo and began marketing his paintings. Maestro Valentino was Caravaggio’s art seller. Valentino decided to bring Caravaggio’s art work to Cardinal Francesco del Monte. Cardinal Francesco was a member of the Papal Court. After a few encounters Caravaggio was invited to live in the cathedral’s house.

In 1957, a commission was granted to Caravaggio to paint 3 large paintings for the Contarelli Chapel in the Church of san Luigi dei Francesi in Rome. This established Caravaggio’s success as an artist. In this commission came the creation of life of St. Matthew: St. Matthew and the Angel, The Calling of St. Matthew, and The Martyrdom of St. Matthew. In these painting he portrayed St. Matthew in a realistic form. However this painting created chaos and caused Caravaggio to reevaluate his artistic style and subjects.

Near the year of 1602, Caravaggio was commissioned ...

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... Caravaggio was an artist that painted the religious scenes. He contributed a lot of his artwork to churches and cathedrals, which received a lot of recognition. The fact that he created his work in real humanistic form made a huge difference in the Baroque period. This is why he is considered one of the greatest artists in the Baroque period.

Works Cited

"Caravaggio Biography - The Biography of Michelangelo Merisi Da Caravaggio." Michelangelo Merisi Da Caravaggio Paintings Gallery. Web. 02 Feb. 2012. .

"Narcissus | Artble.com." Artble: The Home of Passionate Art Lovers. Web. 02 Feb. 2012. .

"The Cardsharps - Caravaggio." Michelangelo Merisi Da Caravaggio Paintings Gallery. Web. 02 Feb. 2012. .

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