Caravaggio, Velázquez and Vermeer: A Comparative Study

Caravaggio, Velázquez and Vermeer

Todd Murphy

HUM 212-452

Professor Henry

11 December 2017

The end of the sixteenth century and the beginning of the seventeenth century marked the birth of three important painters that will go on to paint wonderful masterpieces in the near future. Spanish painters, Michelangelo Carravaggio and Diego Velázquez, were born in this time period along with Dutch painter, Johannes Vermeer. Caravaggio, being the first of the bunch to be born, set the scene for both Velázquez and Vermeer. JUST ADD MORE STUFF TO THIS Michelangelo Merisi, best known as Caravaggio, was born on September 28, 1571. He was born into the years of the bubonic plague, which killed most of his family (Michelangelo Caravaggio). The effect that the bubonic plague took on Caravaggio continues to carry out into his adult years. While he was homeless, Caravaggio apprenticed a painter by the name of Simone Peterzano while he relocated to Milan, Italy (Michelangelo Caravaggio). Michelangelo, in his early 20’s, took the name “Caravaggio” because it was the name of the town that he lived in and he needed to create a mainame for himself (Caravaggio). This would help him create some recognition for himself later to come. After the success of “The Boy bitten by the Lizard”,

This opportunity was one that Caravaggio could not pass up due to his current homelessness and the future of his art. In 1597, Caravaggio was offered to decorate the Contarelli Chapel in the Church of San Luigi Dei Francesi in Rome, Italy (Michelangelo Caravaggio). While he found himself to be 26 years old at the time, Caravaggio took on the task to produce theres large paintings that depicted scenes from St. Matthew’s life. From this opportunity, he painted “St. Matthew and the Angel,” “The Calling of St. Matthew” and “The Martyrdom of St. Matthew” (Michelangelo