Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio- the creative psychopath

Abstract

Cassar writes about the capricious, violent and psychopathic personality behind one of the most prominent painters of all time- Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio. The document traces Caravaggio's every move- from the day of his birth (1573) to the day of his death, alone in an empty house in 1610. Cassar subsequently examines his art, thus highlighting artistic features still foreign to other artists at the time. The final part of the article consists of a synopsis of Caravaggio's character under the lens of a psychologist. His summation is that, while numerous, his personality flaws were innate and unchangeable hence why, in his opinion, the painter ought to be pardoned for the wrongs that he had committed and thanked for the invaluable art that he provided to the world of art.