The Lives of Caravaggio

In his short and violent life, Michelangelo Merisl da Caravaggio (1571-1610) revolutionised painting, producing a style of shockingly immediate realism that swept through Europe. Almost everything we know about Caravaggio’s life comes from these three early biographies that reflect the sometimes horrified fascination he exerted on his contemporaries. Giulio Mancini was Caravaggio’s doctor, Giovanni Baglione a bitter rival and art historian, Giovanni Pietro Bellori the most judicious art historian of the following generation. All provide a vivid picture of a man whose life reads in part like a thriller, as well as a fascinating window onto a world and habits of seeing that were mercilessly challenged by Caravaggio’s art. This edition of Lives of Caravaggio is introduced by the leading expert on the painter, Dr Helen Langdon, who elucidates the historical and artistic context of these biographies. This revised edition now includes The Supper at Emmaus and 47 pages of colour illustrations.