Michelangelo Merisi Da Caravaggio

A criminal and genius beyond his years, who's art would later encompass the Baroque movement.

Caravaggio is one of my favourite painters and who's legacy was so shrouded in mystery because of his very nature, however we can now understand the importance of his works years down the line and give him the acclaim he 'deserved'.

I believe that in all the arts of the modern world, no one puts to use the teachings of the old ways such as animator's. They must learn form, anatomy and vitality in their drawing as well as understanding composition, lighting and expression.

Caravaggio and the 'Baroque' would come to replace 'Mannerism' in which paintings and art was an ideal, an un-naturalistic, almost formal and sophisticated style often depicting the divine. However with the Catholic church wanting new art to compete with the rise of Protestantism, they turned to Michelangelo Merisi, who's art was 'real' and 'emotional' his subjects were commoners of the streets, often violent and bloody cast in dramatic lighting. Caravaggio's paintings ripped away the barrier of the frame and dropped you right in the thick of the action, you didn't just look at his paintings, you felt them.

In this way Caravaggio is an important artist to me, as an animator, because he chose to affect his audience on an emotional level, he pushed the boundaries and no one had been more influential since Michelangelo Di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni.

Bacchus

Victorious Cupid

The Martyrdom of Saint Matthew

The Vocation of Saint Matthew

Judith and Holophernes

Saint Matthew and the Angel

David with the Head of Goliath

I could go on further about his life, and his run ins with the law, as well as his many self portraits in his paintings, such as his decapitated head above (David with the Head of Goliath) but hopefully I would have inspired you to carry out your own research and appreciation of his paintings.

Thanks for watching,

Liam.