Caravaggio studies.

This study of the life and work of the dynamic painter who shocked Rome and revolutionized its academic schools has been considered a standard work on Caravaggio since its first publication in 1955. Walter Friedlaender discusses the artistic influences that nurtured Caravaggio's revolutionary style and the intense new religious thinking that goaded his character and found expression in the eloquent and monumental works of his mature years. Part I starts with a detailed analysis of the crucial "Conversion of St. Paul," and covers all the background, achievements, and crises of the artist's turbulent life. Part II, quotes the relevant sources of contemporary information on each subject, and sums up the modern studies on all the documented paintings. Part III gives the contemporary biographies of Caravaggio, police records, and documents relating to his work, in English and in the original language. Many of the illustrations indicate Caravaggio's sources and inspirations in the work of contemporaries and predecessors.