Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio: A Revolutionary of Light and Shadow Michelangelo Merisi, more famously known as Caravaggio, remains one of the most compelling and controversial figures in art history. Born in Milan in 1571, his life was a whirlwind of dramatic events—a rebellious youth, a brief but intense career marked by both extraordinary talent and shocking behavior, and an untimely death at the age of thirty-nine. His legacy l…