CARAVAGGIO, Icii-ri-vad'A Michel Angelo Merisio (or Merisi) da, Italian painter: b. Caravaggio, in the Milanese, 1569; d. near Porto Ercole 1609. He was at first a journey man mason, but soon applied himself to the study of painting, studied in Milan and Venice, and afterward went to Rome where he was for a time associated with Cesare d'Arpino and Prospero Orsi, and distinguished himself as the founder of the naturalistic school. His char acteristic traits are vigor and truth of chiaros curo, combined with excellent coloring. He was fond of introducing broad and deep masses of shade, whereby a great effect is given to the light. To aid him in producing this effect the room in which he worked was illuminated by a skylight, and the walls were painted black. He excelled in the painting of naked figures. His faults are obvious. Narrow and servile imitation of nature was his highest aim. Annibale Caracci and Domenichino were, perhaps, less distinguished than Caravaggio dur ing their lives, but after their death were ranked higher because, without neglecting coloring and the study of nature, they aimed at correct ness of design and dignity of conception. His violent character involved him in many difficul ties. He died in consequence of wounds re ceived in a quarrel. The painters who have been influenced by him most are Manfredi, Valentin, Guido Reni, Guercino Domenichino and Ribeira, called Espagnolet. His first paint inlets are genre pieces, of which the best are 'Card Players) in the Sciarra Palace, Rome, and the 'Gipsy Fortune Teller' in the Palazzo dei Conservatori, on the Capitoline Hill. The
works of his later life are large religious pieces, which aroused great opposition in Rome be cause he used to portray the saints as common types of humanity. 'Saint Matthew Writing the Gospel,) and the 'Death of Mary' are among those which were removed from the churches in Rome; the former being now in the Berlin Museum and the latter in the Louvre. The most renowned of his religious works and his gen erally accepted masterpiece is the 'Burial of Christ' now in the Vatican, but originally painted for the church of Santa Maria in Trastevere. The facial expressions of all of the figures are remarkable for the depth of the emotion portrayed. It shows great care in execution and harmonious grouping. Accuracy and realism are used in the representation of the figure of Christ. Numerous pieces ascribed to him are to be found in the various galleries of Europe, notably at Berlin and London ; but it is doubtful if all are originals. Among his portraits may be mentioned one of himself in the Uffizzi at Florence, and that of the Grand Master of the Knights of Malta (Louvre). His influence as a master of realism in painting was widely diffused over Italy; and the Dutch Naturalists profited much by die careful study of his works. Consult Baglione, vite de' pittori' (Rome 1649) ; Fornomc, Caravaggio' (Bergamo 1907).