Caravaggio

Biography

Caravaggio (1571–1610) revolutionised painting with his dramatic contrasts of light and dark and his use of ordinary people as models for sacred subjects. His violent life ended early, but his style influenced a whole generation of painters across Europe.

From the artist’s life

Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio (1571–1610) revolutionised painting with his dramatic contrasts of light and shadow and his use of ordinary people as models for saints. His violent life ended early, on the run after a killing.

From the page of The Calling of Saint Matthew