Art historyLesson 2 of 4 in the course Baroque and Enlightenment art

Caravaggio: Career, Painting, Exile, and Legacy

5 flashcards · 5 quiz questions · 5 match pairs · 5 fill-in sentences · English

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Summary

This lesson introduces Caravaggio’s origins, artistic training, and move to Rome. Understanding his early circumstances helps explain how he developed a distinctive approach to painting and found opportunities in a changing artistic world.

Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio was born in Milan in 1571. His father, Fermo, worked as a household administrator and architect-decorator for the marquess of Caravaggio. In 1576, the family moved to the nearby town of Caravaggio, apparently to escape a plague in Milan. Caravaggio’s father and grandfather died there in 1577. His mother, Lucia Aratori, raised her five children in difficult circumstances.

All flashcards

Where was Caravaggio born, and where did his family move in 1576?
He was born in Milan in 1571; his family moved to the nearby town of Caravaggio in 1576.
Who was Simone Peterzano?
The Milanese painter with whom Caravaggio began a four-year apprenticeship in 1584.
What characterized the Lombard artistic tradition Caravaggio encountered?
Close observation and comparatively direct, unidealized representation.
What did Caravaggio paint in Giuseppe Cesari’s workshop?
Details such as flowers and fruit.
Why did *The Fortune Teller* and *The Cardsharps* matter to Caravaggio’s career?
The paintings attracted attention and were bought by Cardinal Francesco Maria del Monte, who became an important patron.

Quiz questions

  1. In which city was Caravaggio born?Answer: Milan
  2. Which painter trained Caravaggio in a four-year apprenticeship beginning in 1584?Answer: Simone Peterzano
  3. What kind of work did Caravaggio initially do in Giuseppe Cesari’s workshop?Answer: He painted details such as flowers and fruit.
  4. Why did Rome offer opportunities to painters in the 1590s?Answer: New churches and palaces created demand for paintings, while the Church sought alternatives to Mannerism.
  5. How did Cardinal Francesco Maria del Monte contribute to Caravaggio’s early career?Answer: He bought works such as *The Fortune Teller* and *The Cardsharps* and became an influential patron.

Based on the Wikipedia article Caravaggio, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Adapted into a summary, flashcards and quizzes.

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