Caravaggio: A Life Sacred And Profane (2010) - Plot & Excerpts
I've often looked for a good book about this fascinating and controversial early 17th c. artists, but never found the right one. Some are overly long and dry, some are sensational (not in a good way) and others are just picture books. This one though seemed to do the trick. The author has a real knack for the subject and provides so much interesting detail about the man caravaggio that its hard to know where to start when addressing his life. He was a bit of a troubadour, going from various places and kingdoms in Italy to others, serving various popes and princes, and always had a knack for getting himself in trouble and finding the exact person he needed to get him out. For a while this served him well and put him in good stead with a lot of religious bigwigs and other interesting types, but you can only go around pimping and killing so long before it catches up with you. And that's what happened with caravaggio -- too much pride, wine, violence, anger, it just did him in. He made his way to malta ultimately and got involved with the knights of malta, but his ways caught up with him. He escaped amazingly and found himself back in central Italy, but that's where he died after sickness and life as a fugitive caught up with him. In all this is an amazing biography, much more than I ever could have imagined, and I felt I was on the frontlines of the amazing and dashing and diabolical life of this genius-artist-madman. This would make an amazing film, but I understand they already made one and it's wasn't much. Try again, filmland. This is a book for the serious art enthusiast. It's not a light read. And it's terribly long. But if you have a passion for the origins, history and political aspects of art, as well as it aesthetics, you'll thoroughly enjoy this book.Caravaggio was an artist born in the Italian Renaissance. He was a controversial figure from early on. He was testy and easily drawn into an argument. Which word invariably lead to violence, usually involving a sword. He was exiled from Rome for murdering a pimp. He joined the Knights of Malta to redeem himself but soon fell foul of them and found himself in jail. He miraculously escaped and went on the run. Unfortunately for him, an adversary caught up with him and, in a vicious assault, he was maimed and critically wounded. He eventually died at the age of 38 under mysterious circumstances.Caravaggio's life was tumultuous and his art controversial. With a unique and vivid style, he was the forerunner to Reubens and Rembrandt, who were influenced by his single source lighting. The work he produced verged on the divine. His life, on the other hand, was quite often murky and sordid. And that's why he is such a fascinating character in the history of art.
What do You think about Caravaggio: A Life Sacred And Profane (2010)?
A book that illuminates Caravaggio's life, his art, and his time while being extremely readable.
—Kate
