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Caravaggio : A Genius Beyond His Time
Notorious bad boy of Italian Baroque painting, Caravaggio (1571-1610) is finally getting the recognition he deserves. Though his name may be familiar to all of us, his work has been habitually detested and forced into obscurity. Not only was his theatrical realism unfashionable in his time, but his sacrilegious subject matter and use of lower class models were violently scorned. Michelangelo Mirisi de Caravaggio lived a life riddled with crime and scandal, producing a body of work that wouldn't be appreciated until centuries after his mysterious death. Though his body was never found, he is assumed to have been murdered by ruffians on a beach south of Rome-a fate strangely similar to that of controversial Italian director Pier Paolo Pasolini who was, like Caravaggio, a homosexual.Caravaggio's reputation was decidedly poor during his lifetime; sometimes rich, sometimes penniless, when he wasn't in prison he was running away from the police or his enemies. Perhaps no other painter has suffered such injustice: his works were often attributed to more respected painters while he was given the credit for just about anything vulgar painted in the chiaroscuro style. Caravaggio's great work had the misfortune of enduring centuries of disrepute. It wasn't until the end of the 19th century that he was rediscovered and, quite posthumously, deemed a great master.
96 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 2000
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews
August 30, 2021
A great introduction.
March 11, 2017
A wonderful book about an artist and his paintings which reach at our senses with aesthetic dimensions contouring the beauty of freedom
On the cover- Victorious Cupid (1603) , the god of love, joyful and nonchalantly holding two arrows shows his effortless defeat of the intellectual, which is represented in the background though the symbols of the quadrivium:"love conquers all; let us all yield to love!" (Virgil)
One of the most famous art historians and art critics, Robert Longhi, who thoroughly analyzed Caravaggio's work, said "People speak of Michelangelo de Caravaggio, calling him now a master of shadow, now a master of light. ... Ribera, Vermeer, la Tour and Rembrandt could never have existed without him. And the art of Delacroix, Courbet, and Manet would have been utterly different”
On the cover- Victorious Cupid (1603) , the god of love, joyful and nonchalantly holding two arrows shows his effortless defeat of the intellectual, which is represented in the background though the symbols of the quadrivium:"love conquers all; let us all yield to love!" (Virgil)
One of the most famous art historians and art critics, Robert Longhi, who thoroughly analyzed Caravaggio's work, said "People speak of Michelangelo de Caravaggio, calling him now a master of shadow, now a master of light. ... Ribera, Vermeer, la Tour and Rembrandt could never have existed without him. And the art of Delacroix, Courbet, and Manet would have been utterly different”
February 21, 2018
Breve, mas nos dá um bom panorama sobre quem foi Caravaggio
December 16, 2021
It would probably be hard to write a really good, factual book on Caravaggio's life, given how little is known about him.
February 6, 2011
As I tracked down my favorite Caravaggio paintings in Europe, this book was my bible. Incredibly rich in information with gorgeous color plates, this book has become very important to me. If you're looking for a quick reference tool for the works of the great Baroque artist, this is a good bet.
September 14, 2020
Caravaggio's turbulent life is discussed as a backdrop to his artistic ingenuity. His works were ahead of their time and often regarded as vulgar. Quality paper and excellent color reproduction bring his paintings to life, rendering the stunning nature of light and shadow as well as the facial expressions of his subjects.
June 21, 2021
Beautiful book about the troubled and erratic artist whose dubious reputation could not overshadow out his undeniable genius. One star off for a typo.
October 1, 2017
My first introduction to Caravaggio's life and art: this books seemed like a good start. It was interesting to read about history of paintings which I encountered in different books, especially in literature textbook, which accompany texts to depict its meaning or simply mark the same time period in which both art and literature was made. For example, Judith beheading Holofernes would accompany Marko Marulić's masterpiece, Judita.
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At the same time, history of his paintings tells the story of Caravaggio's life, which was tumultuous, famous and short. Many of his art is inspired by his own life, and in his work, he incorporates the details that he lived.
This painting, Boy with a Basket of Fruit, is one of my favourites because it is youthful and fresh. Caravaggio probably felt like that, in particular period of life.
When I finished reading, one fact made me think. Many brilliant artists, which we consider geniuses and which with death left masterpieces for us to admire, are often or always suffering in their earthly life, for various reasons. They are born with great gifts, but seems they have a sad life. They create beautiful art which will stir a range of emotions, thoughts and wonder; they create beauty, in way for all us, but sometimes their work is not appreaciated until their death, which is sad because they can't receive rightful praise for the magic they created...
To conclude these thoughts, I'll say a few words about the book alone. I enjoyed the photographs of the paintings, they are delightful. When thinking about the text, it was confusing for a couple of times, but it's very informative and it seems it would be very useful if I every find myself searching for Caravaggio in Italy. It's a very nice book, which you can always take in your hands and admire the paintings.
[image error]
At the same time, history of his paintings tells the story of Caravaggio's life, which was tumultuous, famous and short. Many of his art is inspired by his own life, and in his work, he incorporates the details that he lived.
This painting, Boy with a Basket of Fruit, is one of my favourites because it is youthful and fresh. Caravaggio probably felt like that, in particular period of life.
When I finished reading, one fact made me think. Many brilliant artists, which we consider geniuses and which with death left masterpieces for us to admire, are often or always suffering in their earthly life, for various reasons. They are born with great gifts, but seems they have a sad life. They create beautiful art which will stir a range of emotions, thoughts and wonder; they create beauty, in way for all us, but sometimes their work is not appreaciated until their death, which is sad because they can't receive rightful praise for the magic they created...
To conclude these thoughts, I'll say a few words about the book alone. I enjoyed the photographs of the paintings, they are delightful. When thinking about the text, it was confusing for a couple of times, but it's very informative and it seems it would be very useful if I every find myself searching for Caravaggio in Italy. It's a very nice book, which you can always take in your hands and admire the paintings.
January 17, 2019
Well written overview of the notorious rebel Caravaggio. This is a thoughtful review of his artwork as well as shedding light on the locales and society he lived in and how those are so important to consider when contemplating an artist's corpus. Though Caravaggio often caused a scandal, this book does not reprimand, nor cast judgement on action as biographers sometimes fall into the temptation to do.
Much of what Caravaggio did was illegal in his and our own time and may provoke more than the raising of a questioning eyebrow. What I really appreciated in this short book is that I didn't feel led to any specific moral judgment by the writer but felt permitted to draw my own conclusions.
As an artist he was a master and it's exciting that some of his work is still being rediscovered and correctly attributed to him.
My thanks to the writer and team who worked on this book - I'll certainly search out your other work!
Much of what Caravaggio did was illegal in his and our own time and may provoke more than the raising of a questioning eyebrow. What I really appreciated in this short book is that I didn't feel led to any specific moral judgment by the writer but felt permitted to draw my own conclusions.
As an artist he was a master and it's exciting that some of his work is still being rediscovered and correctly attributed to him.
My thanks to the writer and team who worked on this book - I'll certainly search out your other work!
April 28, 2017
Caravaggio è uno dei miei pittori preferiti, unanimemente considerato uno dei più grandi della storia dell'arte. Il volume è agile e conciso, visto che è lungo solo 96 pagine e le illustrazioni, davvero ben fatte, ne occupano buona parte. Se dovessi giudicare solo le opere stampate al suo interno, 5 stelle non basterebbero. Mi tocca abbassare un il giudizio perché il testo è a tratti un po' troppo generico e qua e là ci sono anche degli errori, cosa che non mi sarei aspettato da una casa editrice come Taschen che, sebbene a prezzi contenuti (questo libro costa 9,99 €), di solito pubblica opere di ottima qualità.
November 30, 2021
Beautiful reproductions of most of Caravaggio’s works are combined with a flat biography, which causes this fascinating Old Master to lose a lot of his spark. I would have preferred more discussion of the paintings themselves; given the high quality of the pictures in this book, it seems a waste that limited detail was provided about each one.
May 17, 2011
A super short biography with great photos of his work. A tumultuous life filled with turmoil. I guess that's what makes the greats great. I've always loved the dark realism of Caravaggio and now I know why, at least partially.
November 5, 2007
great images, terrible text, basically rendering a fascinating artistic genius into a boring mess. watch sister wendy for the real deal.
March 18, 2017
Text- 3 stars (Informative but a bit flat)
Paintings & Reproductions- 4 stars (I miss my favourite painting -The Incredulity of Saint Thomas)
Caravaggio's life- 5 stars
Paintings & Reproductions- 4 stars (I miss my favourite painting -The Incredulity of Saint Thomas)
Caravaggio's life- 5 stars
January 3, 2024
Ich bin ein Fan der Taschen Biographien. Sie sind ziemlich allgemein gehalten, gehen aber trotzdem ins Detail und die Bilder der Werke haben auch eine tolle Qualität. Was ich weniger mag ist das häufige Umblättern. Oft kommt es vor, dass Bilder schon 12 Seiten vorher erscheinen, bevor von ihnen die Rede ist.
Anyways
Caravaggio war eine sehr kongliktreiche Person, die am Ende nur wegen ihrer Kunst Unterschlumpf und Sicherheit fand. Trotzdem musste er ständig von Stadt zu Stadt flüchten und sich dort immer neu etablieren. Die anfänglichen Werke Caravaggios gefallen mir deutlich besser, als seine letzteren, was mich dazu bringt zu sagen, dass ständige Flucht und Konflikte kontraproduktiv für die eigene Kunst sein können. Caravaggio lebte ein ziemlich einfaches Leben und beschäftigte sich außer der Kunst mehr in Kneipen und auf der Straße, als von Palast zu Palast gehen.
Anyways
Caravaggio war eine sehr kongliktreiche Person, die am Ende nur wegen ihrer Kunst Unterschlumpf und Sicherheit fand. Trotzdem musste er ständig von Stadt zu Stadt flüchten und sich dort immer neu etablieren. Die anfänglichen Werke Caravaggios gefallen mir deutlich besser, als seine letzteren, was mich dazu bringt zu sagen, dass ständige Flucht und Konflikte kontraproduktiv für die eigene Kunst sein können. Caravaggio lebte ein ziemlich einfaches Leben und beschäftigte sich außer der Kunst mehr in Kneipen und auf der Straße, als von Palast zu Palast gehen.
February 25, 2024
me encantó aprender de la historia de caravaggio, genio artístico y actor principal del movimiento barroco, que a la vez fue un criminal y un asesino. icónico porque casi todas sus obras religiosas fueron provocativas, controversiales y "vulgares", y también por su uso dramático del claroscuro. amo leer los análisis del uso de ciertos autorretratos en sus obras, tal vez al final del día sí tenía cierto self-awareness (???) el mae problematic as hell though.
September 22, 2023
Caravaggio was indeed a genius beyond his time! His innovative use of light and shadow, known as chiaroscuro, brought a new level of realism and drama to his paintings. His works were often controversial and pushed the boundaries of art during the Baroque period. Caravaggio's influence can still be seen in the works of many artists today. He truly left a lasting impact on the art world! 🎨✨
May 22, 2022
De forma sucinta, sem descurar todas as principais obras e aspectos biográficos, o livro socorre de belas fotos e pormenores da obra de Caravaggio. Para os estudidosos de arte e nao só..
Um livro de estante!
Um livro de estante!
November 23, 2016
In the wise words of my friend JS, "Guy sure loved his boys."
(But of course! What did you expect, JS!)
(But of course! What did you expect, JS!)
June 26, 2017
The biographical information is fairly sparse (not that there is a huge wealth of primary source documents from 500 years ago), but the full-color images are stunning.
May 30, 2019
Il a étè sans doute un peintre exceptionnel! Le roi du baroque.
February 22, 2021
Belle foto dei dipinti, coivolgente il raconto della vita del pittore, forse superficiale per quanto riguarda l'analisi critica delle opere.
April 19, 2021
A fine, brisk, inexpensive overview of the artist’s life and work, but riddled with errors and typos.
Read
July 21, 2021schon sexy
April 16, 2022
ชอบซีรีส์นี้ของ TASCHEN คุณภาพการพิมพ์ดีเยี่ยม บทความประกอบก็สุดยอด ... คาราวัจโจ ความสมบูรณ์ ความงาม ความประณีต
November 1, 2022
Very good paintings such as the execution of saint John the Baptist, Saint Catherine of Alexandria,and saint John the Baptist, the supper at Emmaus.
September 17, 2023
I absolutely loved this book! The story was so engaging, and I couldn't help but become attached to the characters. It's a feel-good read that leaves you with a warm, fuzzy feeling
July 30, 2019
My introduction to Caravaggio's life, which isn't too well preserved in history, but I was mainly here for the paintings. Good commentary on his situations in life, and great prints and details.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews