Few artists’ lives and work have been as fascinating as those of Italian painter Michelangelo Merisi, who was known as Caravaggio (1571–1610). His masterful images of light and shadow revolutionized painting. Religion, sex, and violence are some of the major themes in the true-to-life depictions produced by this cofounder of the Baroque.Solidly grounded in the latest Caravaggio research, this publication (now available as an affordable special edition) guides the reader through the unconventional visual innovations of this epoch-making painter, which were not only the basis for his fame, but were later imitated by many other artists, even during his lifetime. This richly illustrated volume contains a collection of important works from the various creative phases of the artist’s brief and restless life.