"Caravaggio (1571-1610) was the most revolutionary artist of the Italian Baroque. Consistently emphasising the humanity of his religious subjects, he established a new canon. The intensity and drama of his chiaroscuro style is matched only by his life. Outlaw, heretic, murderer and sensualist are a few of the charges brought against him by his contemporaries. Given the paucity of verifiable biographical documents, Caravaggio the man remains mysterious and elusive to his modern admirers. Book jacket."--Jacket.