The Master of Shadow: A Guide to Caravaggio Paintings (born Michelangelo Merisi ) was a revolutionary Italian painter whose dramatic use of light and shadow, known as tenebrism , transformed European art at the turn of the 17th century. His paintings are characterized by intense realism, raw emotional power, and a rejection of the idealized beauty typical of the Renaissance. Despite a volatile life—marked by brawls and even a murder charge—his artistic output, estimated between 40 and 80 surviving works , remains some of the most influential in history. Signature Techniques and Artistic Revolution
Caravaggio’s style was a radical departure from his contemporaries. While others sought to create divine, light-filled scenes, he plunged his subjects into a "cellar" of darkness.
21 Facts About Caravaggio | Old Master Paintings - Sotheby's
