Description
A Revolution in Painting
The mysterious genius who transformed European art Caravaggio, or more accurately Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio (1571 1610), was always a name to be reckoned with. Notorious bad boy of Italian painting, the artist was at once celebrated and controversial: violent in temper, precise in technique, a creative master, and a man on the run. Today, he is considered one of the greatest influences in all art history.
Each of his paintings is reproduced from recent top-quality photography, allowing for a vivid encounter with the artist s ingenious repertoire of looks and gestures, as well as numerous detail shots of his boundary-breaking naturalism, whether a grubby foot or the soft folds of a sagging stomach.
Five accompanying chapters trace the complete arc of Caravaggio’s career from his first public commissions in Rome through to his growing celebrity status, while the book s detailed chronology traces his tempestuous personal life, in which drama loomed as prominently as in his chiaroscuro canvases.
“This comprehensive study showcases each painting in state-of-the-art photography, with close-ups of details, like his ability to capture emotion with the subtlest of facial expressions. The text analyses his career and his riotous life: a rag-to-riches story every bit as dramatic as Caravaggio’s art.” – The Lady
