Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio

Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio was an influential Italian painter of the late 16th and early 17th centuries, renowned for his dramatic use of light and shadow, known as chiaroscuro. His realistic depiction of human figures and intense emotional expressions brought a new vibrancy to religious and secular art. Caravaggio’s innovative approach significantly impacted Baroque painting, inspiring future artists. His life was marked by a tumultuous personality and legal troubles, but his revolutionary artistry left a lasting legacy that transformed European art.