Michelangelo Caravaggio (September 29, 1571 – July 18, 1610) born Michelangelo Merisi was born in Italy and became an orphan at the age of 11. He was then apprenticed to a Milan-based painter, Simone Peterzano. Caravaggio developed his artistic skills and embraced the tenebrism technique. He later moved to Rome where his artistic style became quite popular, a style that focused on using darks to draw attention to the lighter areas of his subjects. Caravaggio’s approach to art making became an inspiration to many artists even after his death. Some of his masterpieces that gave him wide recognition include "David with the Head of Goliath" and "The Death of the Virgin."
In spite of his artistic talents, his life wasn’t peaceful even when he found great opportunities. It’s believed that the loss of his family, including his father, due to the bubonic plague, affected his early and adult life as well. Every time he got an opportunity to prosper, he always found a way to mess it all up.
This saw him frequently switching from one job to the next. Around 1595, the highly prolific painter opted to sell his artwork through a dealer. Many of his works were sold and he was soon recognized by Cardinal Francesco del Monte. The Cardinal gave him a room, a board to paint on, and put him on a pension. Caravaggio created several artwork pieces and was respected for finishing his works quickly, usually within 2 weeks. His early works were mainly of young boys with some of them presented as young angels. Caravaggio worked with a boy named Cecco as his assistant. The boy appears in several of his artwork pieces and is believed to have been his lover.
He gained a lot of exposure and continued creating art on diverse platforms until death, coming shortly after he fled Rome for killing someone in a brawl. His works of art still sell widely, with Michelangelo Caravaggio framed art being widely sought after by those who want ready to hang art.