Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio was among the foremost artists of the Renaissance. Considered one of the founders of modern painting, he is famous for creating a radically new kind of art. He painted directly from life, without preparatory drawings, to establish a high realism in his work and a powerful and stark psychological expressiveness in his protagonists. His paintings defied convention to such a degree that their meanings have divided critics and viewers for centuries, while inspiring generations of subsequent artists, from Velázquez to Rembrandt. This highly original book examines Caravaggio's life and art in relation to his greatest achievement: his profound contribution to the creation of modernity. It will appeal to all those fascinated by the history of art and the work of this great artist.