Brilliant and temperamental, Caravaggio (1571 – 1610) was an Italian artist whose technique of illuminating subjects framed by deep shadows revolutionized Baroque painting. Born Michelangelo Merisi, Caravaggio worked as a mason’s laborer before he moved to Rome to paint, acquiring the artistic patronage of many powerful members of the Roman Church. Caravaggio rebelled against idealistic depictions of religious figures by painting them with a modern realism that ignited both outrage and acclaim. His exceptional artistic abilities contrasted sharply with his turbulent life, culminating in the murder of a man over a tennis wager. Despite his scandalous behavior, Caravaggio inspired many noteworthy artists, including Rembrandt and Diego Velazquez.
This collotype print was produced in an unknown edition size.
This fine art print is produced using the collotype process, a meticulous printing process that produces extraordinarily detailed reproductions with unparalleled color depth and range. Although collotype printing was replaced by the offset lithography press for commercial printing, it is still used by some fine art printers because of its unique ability to capture microscopic detail and tonal gradations.