Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio: A Life Painted in Shadow and Fire Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio, more commonly known simply 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 artistic brilliance, violent outbursts, and ultimately, premature death at the age of thirty-nine. His legacy isn’t just defined by the breathtaking intensity of his paintings—the dramatic use of light and shadow, the raw emotion captured in ordinary faces—but also by the turbulent circumstances that shaped his extraordin…