On this day in 1571, the Italian artist Michelangelo Merisi was born in Caravaggio, Italy; he would later take the name of his hometown as his own. The young Caravaggio was born during a tumultuous time in Italy, beset by war and disease, most notably the bubonic plague which killed almost his entire family and left him an orphan. Left to roam the streets, he befriended a group of painters and swordsmen, and when he was eleven began an art apprenticeship in Milan. A few years later, he moved to Rome and began working sporadically as a painter. Many of Caravaggio’s paintings featured naked young boys, and it is believed that his young assistant was also his lover. Caravaggio began to find notable success in the late 1590s, when his work attracted papal courtier Cardinal Francesco del Monte, who set Caravaggio up in his own home. In 1597, he received the illustrious commission of decorating the Contarelli Chapel in the Church of San Luigi dei Francesi in Rome with a series of paintings of St. Matthew. However, Caravaggio’s darker depictions of biblical scenes – including prostitutes and thieves – alarmed many of his religious patrons. His own life was marred by violence, drinking, and gambling, and frequently ran into trouble with the law, which culminated when he murdered a Roman pimp called Ranuccio Tomassoni. The famous artist was thus forced to go on the run, but continued to paint and commit violent crime as he sought refuge in Naples and Malta. In an effort to secure a papal pardon, Caravaggio began traveling back to Rome, but died during the journey on July 18th 1610. Despite his controversial art and lifestyle, Caravaggio’s paintings remain highly popular and influential, and he is remembered as one of the great Italian artists.
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