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Artist Profile: Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio

By Shelley Esaak, About.com

Caravaggio Incredulity of St. Thomas

The Incredulity of Saint Thomas (1601-02 Neues Palais, Potsdam);

Scan © Mark Harden, used with permission
Movement, Style, School or Type of Art:

Baroque

Date and Place of Birth:

Autumn, 1571, Milan or Caravaggio, Italy

Life:

Caravaggio was the Bad Boy of Baroque, and spent much of his time running from the aftermath of his legendary temper. He often painted Bible stories (which included images of known models and familiar landscapes) by day, while indulging in...er..."street life" by night. His style - where he worked quickly from live models and painted realistically - represented a radical departure from Mannerism. Nearly every Baroque painter emulated him, but he himself died young, on the run from more turmoil.

Important Works:

    Judith Beheading Holofernes (c. 1598)
    The Calling of St. Matthew (1599-1600)
    The Conversion of St. Paul (1600-01)
    The Incredulity of Saint Thomas (1601-02)

Date and Place of Death:

July 18, 1610, Porto Ercole, Italy

See more resources on Caravaggio by following the links at top right

Go to Artist Profiles: Names beginning with "C" or Artist Profiles: Main Index

(Image scan courtesy and copyright of Mark Harden, used with kind permission. Please visit The Artchive for more fine resources.)

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