Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio, known as Caravaggio, is known today for his turbulent life and his deep, dark and passionate paintings and his intense realism and dramatic lighting influenced future generations of artists.
He was a famous and popular artist in his lifetime but always embroiled in controversy and disputes either about he painting or his life. He inspired the next generation of artists who became known as Caravaggisti as well as many later artists such as Rembrandt and Velázquez.
His fame and reputation faded after his death but in the late 19th century art historians started to reevaluate his work and in the 20th century his work experienced a resurgence in popularity. Now his works command high prices driven by their mastery of light, their realism and their scarcity.
There are only about 64 authenticated Caravaggio paintings and I have selected 29 to talk about today.
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