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Painter, 1571 to 1610

Caravaggio

Caravaggio made his name in Rome and fled it a murderer. In fourteen years there he changed European painting, and most of what he painted is still in the city.

Born
1571, Milan, Italy
Died
1610, Porto Ercole, Italy
Movement
Baroque
In Rome
8 works in 7 museums

Where to see Caravaggio in Rome

Each work with the museum it hangs in. Museums move and lend their works, so check before a special journey.

Galleria Borghese2 works

  1. David with the Head of Goliath by Caravaggio: a boy holds out the severed head by its hair, against darkness.

    David with the Head of Goliath

    about 1610

    A late work. The severed head is his own portrait, and he sent the picture to Rome to plead for his pardon.

  2. Boy with a Basket of Fruit by Caravaggio: a youth with a bare shoulder holding a basket of grapes, peaches and leaves.

    Boy with a Basket of Fruit

    about 1593

    One of his first pictures in Rome, when the fruit was painted with more care than the boy.

San Luigi dei Francesi1 work

  1. The Calling of St Matthew by Caravaggio: Christ points from the shadows at men counting money round a table, lit by a slanting beam.

    The Calling of St Matthew

    1599 to 1600

    Christ points across a dark room at a tax collector counting coins. It hangs in the Contarelli Chapel, the last on the left, with two more paintings of the saint. Free to see.

Santa Maria del Popolo1 work

  1. The Crucifixion of St Peter by Caravaggio: three workmen heave up the cross with the old saint nailed to it.

    The Crucifixion of St Peter

    1601

    Three workmen strain to raise the cross with the old man nailed to it upside down. It faces his Conversion of St Paul across the Cerasi Chapel, left of the altar.

Sant'Agostino1 work

  1. The Madonna of Loreto by Caravaggio: the Virgin with the child at a doorway, and two pilgrims kneeling before her.

    The Madonna of Loreto

    about 1604 to 1606

    Two pilgrims kneel before the Virgin at a doorway, the soles of their feet towards us. First chapel on the left.

Vatican Museums1 work

  1. The Entombment of Christ by Caravaggio: the body lowered onto a stone slab by two men, with three women grieving behind.

    The Entombment of Christ

    1603 to 1604

    The body of Christ lowered onto a stone slab that juts out of the picture towards you. It is in the Pinacoteca, and it is the one Caravaggio his enemies admired.

Palazzo Barberini1 work

  1. Judith Beheading Holofernes by Caravaggio: a young woman draws a sword through the neck of a man on a bed, an old servant at her side.

    Judith Beheading Holofernes

    about 1599

    The moment of the killing, with the blood in the air, in the national gallery of old master paintings.

Capitoline Museums1 work

  1. The Fortune Teller by Caravaggio: a young woman holds the hand of a well-dressed youth and looks him in the eye.

    The Fortune Teller

    about 1594

    A girl reads a young man's palm and slips the ring from his finger as she does it.

The life of Caravaggio

Michelangelo Merisi was born in Milan in 1571 and took his name from the town his family came from. He arrived in Rome in the early 1590s with nothing, and painted fruit and flowers in other men's workshops.

His three paintings of St Matthew, begun in 1599 for the church of San Luigi dei Francesi, made him famous overnight. He painted saints as ordinary Romans, lit from one side out of deep shadow. In May 1606 he killed a man in a brawl and fled south. He died four years later on his way back to Rome, hoping for a pardon.

What to know

  • Painted the Calling of St Matthew in San Luigi dei Francesi
  • Fled Rome in 1606 after killing a man
  • The Galleria Borghese alone has six of his paintings
Born
29 September 1571, Milan, Italy
Died
18 July 1610, Porto Ercole, Italy

Caravaggio: common questions

Where can you see Caravaggio in Rome?
At the Galleria Borghese: David with the Head of Goliath and Boy with a Basket of Fruit. At San Luigi dei Francesi: The Calling of St Matthew. At Santa Maria del Popolo: The Crucifixion of St Peter. At Sant'Agostino: The Madonna of Loreto. At the Vatican Museums: The Entombment of Christ. At Palazzo Barberini: Judith Beheading Holofernes. At the Capitoline Museums: The Fortune Teller. Museums move and lend their works, so check before a special journey.
What is Caravaggio's most famous work in Rome?
The Calling of St Matthew, of 1599 to 1600, at San Luigi dei Francesi. Christ points across a dark room at a tax collector counting coins. It hangs in the Contarelli Chapel, the last on the left, with two more paintings of the saint. Free to see.
When and where was Caravaggio born?
On 29 September 1571, at Milan, Italy. Caravaggio died on 18 July 1610, at Porto Ercole, Italy, aged about 39.
What is Caravaggio known for?
Painted the Calling of St Matthew in San Luigi dei Francesi. Fled Rome in 1606 after killing a man. The Galleria Borghese alone has six of his paintings. Caravaggio was an Italian painter, of the Baroque.

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