Christ in Prayer. After Caravaggio (1571-1610)

Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio was an Italian Baroque painter renowned for his revolutionary style and dramatic use of light and shadow (chiaroscuro). 

His intense realism, emotional depth, and focus on everyday figures transformed the course of Western art.

Style: Dramatic chiaroscuro, intense realism, stark contrasts of light and dark, use of everyday people as models, emotional intensity, and a focus on psychological realism. His paintings often depict biblical or mythological scenes with a gritty, almost theatrical quality.

Influence: Caravaggio's revolutionary style broke away from the idealized representations common in earlier Renaissance painting. His focus on realism, emotional intensity, and the dramatic use of light profoundly impacted generations of artists, giving rise to the style known as Caravaggism.

He was known for his volatile temperament and frequently involved in brawls - even murder, leading to a tumultuous life marked by flight and exile.

His paintings often featured ordinary people from the streets of Rome as models, adding a novel degree of immediacy and realism to his religious and mythological narratives.

May we recommend our finest Master's Edition archival paper, in off-white and uncoated, offers museum-quality for art enthusiasts seeking a luxurious way to enjoy world-class artworks.