Caravaggio (Michelangelo Merisi)

Born:1573
City and Country of Origin: Italy
Painting School: Baroque
Art Training: Simone Peterzano of Milan
Affiliations:
Awards:
Major Works: "Boy with a Basket of Fruit," "The Martyrdom of St Matthew," "The Conversion of St Paul"
Caravaggio Biography: He was the son of the architect to the Marquis de Caravaggio. His father died when he was only 11. Sometime around 1590 he went to live in Rome, where he lived in poverty for several years trying to scratch out a living by assisting artists of much lesser ability. He finally began selling his own paintings through a local art dealer who brought Caravaggio's work to the attention of Cardinal Francesco del Monte. As a result Caravaggion was invited to stay with the Cardinal. While staying with the Cardinal he painted some 40 works, all of which reveal a natural direct approach common to the Venetian school but sharply in contrast to the works of Mannerist style of Roman painters. His use of live models as subjects and his natural lighting stood in stark contrast to the romanticized work of past generations.
Died: 1610