His influence was decisive in the emergence of the Baroque<\/strong>, breaking away from the Mannerism from which it originated. He was the originator of Caravaggism<\/strong>, inspiring major artists such as Peter Paul Rubens, Jusepe de Ribera, Gian Lorenzo Bernini, and Rembrandt. A generation of painters, known as the Caravaggists<\/strong>, adopted his use of chiaroscuro and theatrical staging, contributing to the spread of Baroque in Europe. Among them were Artemisia Gentileschi, Gerrit van Honthorst, and Georges de La Tour.<\/p>\n Caravaggio transformed lighting into a central element of his art, intensifying contrasts and immersing his figures in striking beams of light. His works convey intense moments of tension and crucial scenes, often marked by drama, conflict, or death. Unlike the idealized aesthetics of the Renaissance, championed by artists like Titian or Michelangelo, he favored a raw and realistic depiction of the world, breaking with Mannerist conventions.<\/p>\n He painted quickly, directly on the canvas, and used live models, giving his works a striking presence.<\/p>\n Portrait of Caravaggio by Ottavio Leoni, 1621<\/p><\/div>\n Before settling in Rome in his twenties, Caravaggio trained in Milan under the influence of the Lombard school<\/strong> and with Simone Peterzano, a disciple of Titian. This training, marked by rigorous naturalism and work with light, shaped his realistic approach and innovative use of luminism.<\/p>\n His talent quickly earned him success and prestigious commissions. He was supported by influential figures such as Cardinal Francesco Maria del Monte, who provided him with lodging in Rome and commissioned major works from him.<\/p>\n Caravaggio often had tumultuous relationships with his patrons and peers. His impetuous and fiery temperament led to numerous conflicts, notably with the painter Giovanni Baglione, whom he publicly ridiculed through satirical poems. The latter sued him for defamation in 1603.<\/p>\n His volatile character and violent behavior led to several imprisonments, though his protectors often helped him avoid harsher penalties.<\/p>\n In 1606, following a duel or altercation that resulted in the death of his opponent, Caravaggio was convicted of murder. Forced to flee Rome, he found refuge in Naples, then Malta and Sicily. During this exile, he continued his work while seeking papal pardon, producing numerous paintings as acts of repentance.<\/p>\n Returning to Naples in 1609, he was again involved in a violent confrontation and was seriously injured. According to some accounts, his face was disfigured.<\/p>\n Caravaggio died in 1610 under still uncertain circumstances. Officially, he succumbed to a fever while traveling from Naples to Rome, after an unexplained stop in Porto Ercole. Theories suggest assassination or lead poisoning. In 2010, analysis of his remains found in Porto Ercole confirmed the location of his death, though the exact cause remains unclear.<\/p>\n Long forgotten after his death, his work was fully rediscovered in the 20th century. Since then, his influence on Western art and his role in the evolution of modern painting have been widely reassessed.<\/p>\n Today, several of Caravaggio\u2019s masterpieces can be seen in Rome\u2019s churches and museums. A tour through the historic center allows visitors to admire his iconic paintings, testaments to his genius and revolutionary vision of painting.<\/p>\n Saint Matthew and the Angel<\/p><\/div>\n The Saint Matthew Triptych<\/strong> at San Luigi dei Francesi<\/strong><\/a> (Saint Louis of the French): The Calling of Saint Matthew<\/em>, The Martyrdom of Saint Matthew<\/em>, and Saint Matthew and the Angel<\/em>. One of the most significant commissions of Caravaggio\u2019s career was the decoration of the Contarelli Chapel<\/strong> in 1599, in the Baroque church of Saint Louis of the French, near Piazza Navona. The Crucifixion of Saint Peter<\/p><\/div>\n Two Caravaggios at Santa Maria del Popolo<\/a><\/strong> Madonna of the Pilgrims<\/p><\/div>\n Madonna of the Pilgrims<\/em> in Sant\u2019Agostino<\/a><\/strong> Repentant Magdalene<\/p><\/div>\n Repentant Magdalene<\/em> (1594-1595, La Maddalena Penitente<\/em>), Rest on the Flight into Egypt<\/em> (1594-1595, Riposo durante la Fuga in Egitto<\/em>), and Saint John the Baptist<\/em> (1602, San Giovanni Battista<\/em>).<\/span> David and Goliath<\/p><\/div>\n The Borghese Gallery holds a significant collection of Caravaggio\u2019s works: Boy with a Basket of Fruit<\/em> (1593-1594), Sick Bacchus<\/em> (1593, possible self-portrait), Madonna of the Palafrenieri<\/em> (1606), Saint Jerome<\/em> (1605-1606), Saint John the Baptist<\/em> (1609-1610), and David and Goliath<\/em> (1606-1607, Davide con la testa di Golia<\/em>). In the latter, Caravaggio depicted himself as the decapitated giant.<\/li>\n The Entombment<\/p><\/div>\n The Entombment<\/em> (1602-1604, Deposizione di Cristo<\/em>) is the only Caravaggio work in the Vatican Museums, but it is of great beauty. It received unanimous approval (rare for Caravaggio) and much admiration from contemporary critics.<\/li>\n Saint John the Baptist with a Ram<\/p><\/div>\n Two Paintings at the Capitoline Museums<\/a><\/strong>![\"Portrait](\"https:\/\/www.bestofrome.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/ottavio-leoni-1621-caravaggio.jpg\")
<\/a>Training in Milan and Rise in Rome<\/h2>\n
A Restless Artist with Many Enemies<\/h2>\n
Mysterious Death and Legacy<\/h2>\n
Discovering Caravaggio in Rome<\/h2>\n
Caravaggio in Rome\u2019s Churches<\/h3>\n
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<\/a>
\nCaravaggio created a series of three paintings dedicated to the figure of Saint Matthew.
\nThese works gained great prestige upon their installation.
\nSaint Matthew and the Angel<\/em> (1602) was redone by the artist after the rejection of a first version by his patrons. It depicted the saint as a bald man with dirty legs, struggling to write, assisted by an angel guiding his hand. This painting was destroyed during World War II, but photographic reproductions remain.<\/li>\n<\/a>
\nIn the Basilica of Santa Maria del Popolo, two of the artist\u2019s masterpieces from 1601 can be admired: The Conversion of Saint Paul on the Road to Damascus<\/em> (in the Cerasi Chapel) and The Crucifixion of Saint Peter<\/em>.
\nThe original versions of these paintings were rejected. In the first version of The Conversion of Saint Paul<\/em>, the saint appeared as a secondary figure overshadowed by the dominance of the horse in the composition. This work is now in a private collection of the Odescalchi Balbi family, occasionally exhibited. The first version of The Crucifixion of Saint Peter<\/em> has been lost.<\/li>\n<\/a>
\nThe Madonna di Loreto (Madonna of the Pilgrims)<\/em> is displayed in the Sant\u2019Agostino church, painted between 1604 and 1606 for Ermete Cavalletti to adorn his family chapel.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\nCaravaggio in Rome\u2019s Museums and Palaces<\/h3>\n
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\nThe Doria Pamphilj Gallery houses three works by the artist.<\/p>\n<\/a>
\nThe Magdalene was part of a set intended to decorate the salons of Caravaggio\u2019s first patron, Cardinal Francesco del Monte. The model was a prostitute who also appears in The Death of the Virgin<\/em> (now at the Louvre). Years later, she was found dead in the Tiber.<\/li>\n<\/a><\/a>
\nNarcissus<\/em> (1597-1599), Judith Beheading Holofernes<\/em> (1602, Giuditta e Oloferne<\/em>), Saint Francis in Meditation<\/em> (1605). The attribution of Narcissus is sometimes debated.
\nJudith Beheading Holofernes<\/em> was famous at the time, shocking and surprising visitors at its original location due to its realism and rawness. Other painters later revisited the work, such as Artemisia Gentileschi (Judith Slaying Holofernes, 1620) and Francisco de Goya (Judith and Holofernes, 1820).
\nNarcissus is dated around 1597-1599. There is debate about its authorship.
\nSaint Francis in Meditation dates to 1605.<\/li>\n<\/a>
\nIn the Capitoline Museums, one can admire one of the eight representations of Saint John the Baptist that the artist created during his lifetime, Young Saint John the Baptist with a Ram<\/em> (San Giovanni Battista<\/em> or Giovane con un montone<\/em>), from 1602, with the same subject as the one in the Doria Pamphilj Gallery.
\nThe painting The Fortune Teller<\/em> (Buona Ventura<\/em>), from around 1594-1595, is famous and often copied by other artists. A later version is exhibited at the Louvre Museum.<\/li>\n
\nThis version of Saint John the Baptist<\/em> (the fifth created by the painter) dates to around 1604. Its iconography is unusual.<\/li>\n