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Caravaggio: A Life
Featuring forty-three color reproductions and black-and-white illustrations throughout, a well-crafted biography of Caravaggio--the first in English in two generations--sheds new light on the seventeenth-century Italian painter's dramatic life and astonishing work.
436 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1998
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365 people want to read
About the author
Helen Langdon
30 books4 followersArt historian and sister of novelists A.S. Byatt and Margaret Drabble.
She also published a little under her maiden name Helen Byatt
She also published a little under her maiden name Helen Byatt
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
November 27, 2010
Of all the books I've read on Caravaggio, Caravaggio: A Life is the most sympathetic to him as a faithful and inspired artist. It is so easy to dismiss him as so many art historians have as a criminal, a degenerate, a drunk and violent man. If that is all he was that does not explain his abilities as an artist in creating natural and faithful art. I am an artist that strives, like him to understand the human element in religious and mythological art. You have to have sympathy and a warm heart to know what makes people believe, to love, to experience loss etc. Caravaggio is much more than the violent tag he has been given over history. This book gives an accurate account of it.
January 10, 2022
2. 5 I will keep this book for the two sections of glossy reproductions of Caravaggio's paintings. The text is dense and quite dead. The introduction doesn't pose a thesis or give much details about what this biography will add to the early Caravaggio biographies. Packed with names and dates --really, really dry. Still- we don't have a lot of primary sources on Caravaggio.
October 4, 2018
A vivid and thoughtful (much more sober and balanced than most) rendering of Caravaggio's life; as much as can be known. Beautifully rendered atmosphere and context, though very brief on the art itself.
November 29, 2007
Oh Caravaggio, you rogue! I'm really surprised how this cat had time to paint considering all the mischief he got himself into. I don't want to give anything away but the guy was a shady character that as a safe retrospective reader cannot help but admire.
September 10, 2022
If this is the book I think it is, Ms Langdon nearly broke herself trying to prove that Caravaggio couldn't POSSIBLY be homosexual.
February 25, 2025
I always have trouble with books that have a wrong or misleading title.
Is this a good book, yes. Does the the title do justice to it, no.
When writing about the life of Caravaggio one is always troubled by the fact that there's very little known about him. He himself didn't leave anything writen behind and most of what is known about is life is shrouded in, what legals would call, circumstantial evidence or hear say.
As a biographer you have then a choise, you either go with the uncertainties surrounding his life, and weave your story from your own interpretations, based on what might be true. Peter Robb in his splendid 'M' takes this road and delivers an enthralling story of Caravaggio's life in all it's glory and misery. But at the same time being vunerable for critic of filling in to many blanks.
Langdon takes another road. She sticks to the facts. And since the facts about Caravaggio are slim, she changes the story more to world where he was a part of, writing about things that are know. She paints a vivid picture of the religious and political society that Caravaggio lived in. But most of all she extensivley describes the art scene that he was a part of. And not just the painters side, she also pays attention to poetry, architecture and sculpture.
Besides that she also gives a comprehensive overview of the religious mindset of these times and in which way it formed Caravaggio as an artist. And maybe more importantly, what made his patrons decide to hire especialy him for jobs they wanted done.
His quaralsum nature and violent behaviour bring him down in the end. First having to flee Rome for presumely having killed a man, and later being banned from Malta and stripped of his knighly honours for getting into a fight with another knight. But even after falling from public grace, he still has a lot of infuential protectors shielding him from conviction, and at the same time falling over each other trying to get a hold of his works.
Langdons biography is thus more about Caravaggio's works and the world he lived in, then about his own life. In meticiously describing the artistic qualities of his works and at the same same time placing them within the religious and art traditions of his times, she shows why Caravaggio became as big as he was already during his lifetime. An why the rich and famous of those days where fighting eachother to commision him for important works.
But is it a good insight into Caravaggio's life, no.
The title of the book would have been better of with something like
'Art and living in Caravaggio's time'. But that's probably not cathy enough.
Is this a good book, yes. Does the the title do justice to it, no.
When writing about the life of Caravaggio one is always troubled by the fact that there's very little known about him. He himself didn't leave anything writen behind and most of what is known about is life is shrouded in, what legals would call, circumstantial evidence or hear say.
As a biographer you have then a choise, you either go with the uncertainties surrounding his life, and weave your story from your own interpretations, based on what might be true. Peter Robb in his splendid 'M' takes this road and delivers an enthralling story of Caravaggio's life in all it's glory and misery. But at the same time being vunerable for critic of filling in to many blanks.
Langdon takes another road. She sticks to the facts. And since the facts about Caravaggio are slim, she changes the story more to world where he was a part of, writing about things that are know. She paints a vivid picture of the religious and political society that Caravaggio lived in. But most of all she extensivley describes the art scene that he was a part of. And not just the painters side, she also pays attention to poetry, architecture and sculpture.
Besides that she also gives a comprehensive overview of the religious mindset of these times and in which way it formed Caravaggio as an artist. And maybe more importantly, what made his patrons decide to hire especialy him for jobs they wanted done.
His quaralsum nature and violent behaviour bring him down in the end. First having to flee Rome for presumely having killed a man, and later being banned from Malta and stripped of his knighly honours for getting into a fight with another knight. But even after falling from public grace, he still has a lot of infuential protectors shielding him from conviction, and at the same time falling over each other trying to get a hold of his works.
Langdons biography is thus more about Caravaggio's works and the world he lived in, then about his own life. In meticiously describing the artistic qualities of his works and at the same same time placing them within the religious and art traditions of his times, she shows why Caravaggio became as big as he was already during his lifetime. An why the rich and famous of those days where fighting eachother to commision him for important works.
But is it a good insight into Caravaggio's life, no.
The title of the book would have been better of with something like
'Art and living in Caravaggio's time'. But that's probably not cathy enough.
April 1, 2024
The knowledge and amount of research is undeniable, and it's very comprehensive. Aside from, obviously, the large amount of Italian/Spanish names and locations, it's a comprehensible read with a lot of detail; exactly what one expects from a non fiction book of this size.
As for the subject matter, the novel is relatively light on Caravaggio himself in comparison; most chapters were roughly 20-30 pages, and I'd reckon only three or so pages total mentioned Caravaggio. What the book really did, though, was paint the picture of the time period and the people around Caravaggio (though sometimes there was leaps of connections; ie, someone would be described in excruciating detail and only loftily connected to Caravaggio himself with a "they may have interacted"). It adds great understanding to the current views and climate of society at the time of Caravaggio's painting, which contributes to critique of his paintings, but I would have liked a bit more analysis on the paintings themselves, or even just to dwell a bit longer of Caravaggio himself. The artist was more or less a glossed over after thought in each chapter, and the paintings never were of focus for beyond a page (which out of 400, felt a bit cheap). This novel wasn't so much about insight on the paintings or Caravaggio, but served the purpose of exploring the environment Caravaggio and his paintings were born into and touched upon how they evolved throughout the years. As a an of Caravaggio, it's an essential read, but it is not the comprehensive standalone.
As for the subject matter, the novel is relatively light on Caravaggio himself in comparison; most chapters were roughly 20-30 pages, and I'd reckon only three or so pages total mentioned Caravaggio. What the book really did, though, was paint the picture of the time period and the people around Caravaggio (though sometimes there was leaps of connections; ie, someone would be described in excruciating detail and only loftily connected to Caravaggio himself with a "they may have interacted"). It adds great understanding to the current views and climate of society at the time of Caravaggio's painting, which contributes to critique of his paintings, but I would have liked a bit more analysis on the paintings themselves, or even just to dwell a bit longer of Caravaggio himself. The artist was more or less a glossed over after thought in each chapter, and the paintings never were of focus for beyond a page (which out of 400, felt a bit cheap). This novel wasn't so much about insight on the paintings or Caravaggio, but served the purpose of exploring the environment Caravaggio and his paintings were born into and touched upon how they evolved throughout the years. As a an of Caravaggio, it's an essential read, but it is not the comprehensive standalone.
August 15, 2022
Fantastic Historical context for the great painter.
I can't praise Helen Langdon's biography of Caravaggio enough, its so well researched and passionately written. I've always had a fascination with the great Caravaggio since I saw his paintings in Rome and Naples, they made a great impression and his art inspired me to get into painting, what frustrated me however was the terrible biographies I read which couldn't really get to the bottom of his bizarre personality and amazing visions in his art, its almost like no biographer ever tried to understand him in his context. Helen has done just the opposite and has tirelessly researched the artistic, aesthetic, political and philosophical trends of Caravaggio's time and how he fit in...or sometimes didn't! Its a brilliant approach, Caravaggio is one of those stormy characters who didn't leave much of a voice behind, leaving him at the mercy of sometimes unfavourable biographers in fact his life is as murky as his chiaroscuro paintings Langon's brilliant biography illuminates the gaps by examining the patron's who commissioned his works, his friends and those who may have inspired him, she also takes time to debunk the silly rumours about Caravaggio which have confused me in earlier biographies of his life. Langdon's command of her history helps to bring the meaning of Caravaggio's work to life!
I was so impressed I bought her biography of Salvator Rosa, which is equally as good!
I can't praise Helen Langdon's biography of Caravaggio enough, its so well researched and passionately written. I've always had a fascination with the great Caravaggio since I saw his paintings in Rome and Naples, they made a great impression and his art inspired me to get into painting, what frustrated me however was the terrible biographies I read which couldn't really get to the bottom of his bizarre personality and amazing visions in his art, its almost like no biographer ever tried to understand him in his context. Helen has done just the opposite and has tirelessly researched the artistic, aesthetic, political and philosophical trends of Caravaggio's time and how he fit in...or sometimes didn't! Its a brilliant approach, Caravaggio is one of those stormy characters who didn't leave much of a voice behind, leaving him at the mercy of sometimes unfavourable biographers in fact his life is as murky as his chiaroscuro paintings Langon's brilliant biography illuminates the gaps by examining the patron's who commissioned his works, his friends and those who may have inspired him, she also takes time to debunk the silly rumours about Caravaggio which have confused me in earlier biographies of his life. Langdon's command of her history helps to bring the meaning of Caravaggio's work to life!
I was so impressed I bought her biography of Salvator Rosa, which is equally as good!
December 16, 2018
I found the book a bit difficult at times to follow. Lots of discussion about the political and economic times in which the artist lived. That was some helpful context, but much of the religious and religious interplay was sluggish going. I think one of the issues was simply the time in which Caravaggio lived and the fact that it was a tough existence. The highlights were getting insights on his artworks and learning more about the symbolism in the paintings. We happened upon the author one day in Naples and were transfixed by a group lecture on a key painting, The Flagellation of Christ. His artwork mesmerizes me, so I was pleased to learn more about the man, his art, and the times in which he lived.
January 8, 2023
I was interested in reading the last years of Caravaggio’s life, after he was exiled from Rome. There’s much history of the cities that bring to life the time and place in which the artist created his final pieces. The author has gathered stories from other biographers, making this book feel comprehensive and complete. Langdon remains objective and doesn’t inject additional drama to a painter’s life already suffused with intrigue.
October 10, 2020
This book weaves together the life and times of Counter-Reformation Italy and the revolutionary talent of my favorite painter -- a madman, criminal and genius who transformed the painter's eye forever.
July 8, 2017
Couldn't get through it.
July 10, 2025
Well-crafted and sound introduction for Scholars or hobbyists on one of art histories most curious figures.
May 22, 2012
Well resaerched and the description of each work was a joy to read. It got extremely tedious in all the names of people that he knew or might have known - keeping to the facts alone made it rather a dry read. The author could have used some conjecture to flesh out the man a bit more. We were told he was passionate, proud and probably a bit mad by the end and his disappointment at the end of his life is heartbreaking but the style was not very sympathetic.
December 16, 2009
This falls between 3 and 4 stars for me. The definitive story of Caravaggio. I really enjoyed how the author described the art, describing the picture's theme, composition, and history in a just a few sentences, without too much detail, but getting to the heart of what the picture meant to the 17th c. viewer.
Still want to read more about St. Ursula, which set me on my Caravaggio journey.
Still want to read more about St. Ursula, which set me on my Caravaggio journey.
February 10, 2008
One of my favorite artists and mischief-makers...this a very well-written, must-read about his life.
February 11, 2009
It was pretty good. Kind of dry but the color plates where great.
Want to read
January 6, 2012Was loving this but reading it extremely slowly and had to return it to the library a second time!
April 19, 2016
A. Man. Who. Truelly. Appreciates. His. Art.
August 4, 2011
Very interesting if you are a true art scholar. A bit dull if you are not.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews