Caravaggio

A Life Sacred and Profane

By: Andrew Graham-Dixon

Narrated by: Edoardo Ballerini

Length: 18 hrs and 24 mins

Publisher's summary

In the tradition of John Richardson's Picasso, a commanding new biography of the Italian master's tumultuous life and mysterious death. For four hundred years Caravaggio's (1571-1610) staggering artistic achievements have thrilled viewers, yet his volatile personal trajectory - the murder of Ranuccio Tomasini, the doubt surrounding Caravaggio's sexuality, the chain of events that began with his imprisonment on Malta and ended with his premature death - has long confounded historians. In a bravura performance, Andrew Graham-Dixon delves into the original Italian sources, presenting fresh details about Caravaggio's sex life, his many crimes and public brawls, and the most convincing account yet published of the painter's tragic death at the age of thirty-eight. With illuminating readings of Caravaggio's infamous religious paintings, which often depict prostitutes and poor people, Graham-Dixon immerses readers in the world of Italy at the height of the Counter-Reformation and creates a masterful profile of the mercurial painter's life and work.

©2010 Andrew Graham-Dixon (P)2013 Audible, Inc.

Michael Angelo Marsi Caravaggio

A mis remarkable telling of a tortured life of a great painter, despite all produced a great volume of work with realistic and very emotional religious paintings base on bible stories interpreted like no other before or since. I listen and looked in you tube and google at the paintings and that help to squire a better idea for me. Love the reader.

Author and Narrator Bring Caravaggio to Life

Andrew Graham-Dixon's biography is a riveting read that brings Caravaggio to life. I am always leery of biographies on people who have gaping holes in their background, but Graham-Dixon fills them admirably well by looking at the places and paintings that defined Caravaggio's life in those periods where little is known about him. Edoardo Ballerini's narration is mesmerising as usual. This is a magical read because of the author's superb ability to make readers feel like they know Caravaggio. I cried from the shere beauty of the ending, one of the best endings for a book I have read.

Read this even if you are not familiar with Caravaggio, art history or painting generally. There is so much here.

I don’t know where to begin with this book. If you have any interest in Michelangelo Merisi whatsoever - and there are so many reasons warranting an interest in this almost impossibly fascinating life even if that life had not produced some of the most arresting art in the history of painting - you should read / listen to this book. The Epilogue alone hit me like some kind of time capsule induced gut punch as it reached back into Caravaggio’s early life in Rome and tells of the fates of some of the individuals with whom he’d shared so many intense and, in some cases tragic moments. Read this with some form of access to digital or print reproductions of the artists works. The Taschen hard back oversized print of The Complete Works is a stunning companion but an internet connection and a willingness to look up each painting will be more than sufficiently rewarding. Be prepared.

Truly Sacred, truly beautiful, sadly profane...

As a devoted admirer of Caravaggio, I was drawn to this biography because of the detail and scholarly research. However, I found it to be much more than I expected. The author's deep spiritual insights and beautiful descriptions of the "Holy Works" created by Caravaggio, brought me close to tears several times. Caravaggio, was clearly a man of divided devotions and divine talent...A troubled and lonely soul.

The narrator is exceptional in both tone and feeling. If you love classical art, tragedy and The Bible. This is a book worth your time.

Loved it.

Great narrative that moved along nicely but was very detailed. I took many notes and reviewed many chapters.

Interesting life

It is obvious that Andrew Graham-Dixon has done a lot of research before writing this book. The book is well written and keeps one interested throughout the book. Graham-Dixon not only covers the life of Caravaggio but also provides the history of the catholic church and Italy during the life of the painter. This in-depth coverage made me feel as if I was there. Edoardo Ballerini did an excellent job with all the Italian names. Before reading this book I knew nothing about Caravaggio. Michelangelo Merisi Caravaggio was born in Milan on 27 September 1571 and died 18 July 1610 in Porto Ercole. He studied in Milan then in his twenties moved to Rome. He apparently had no problems obtaining commissions but he had a violent temper and was frequently in brawls and in jail. His style of painting had a formative influence on the Baroque School of Painting. He created the style of shadows that make his pictures unique. Graham-Dixon explains each of his major paintings in depth about his technique as well as who hired him and how he worked on the painting. I liked the fact that Graham-Dixon explained the findings of other authors about Caravaggio and if there was new evidence on the subject he explained the findings. This was most evident in his discussion about Caravaggio killing a man in Rome and then his flight to Naples and eventually Malta. Of course, Caravaggio produced paintings in all the cities he visited during his flight. He thought his patron had obtained clearance from the Pope to return to Rome but Caravaggio caught a fever on his trip to Rome from Malta and died at Porto Ercole. I wanted to see some of his painting and I found the Caravaggio foundation has them available on the web. I came into this book knowing nothing but I now feel I have a good understanding of the man and the times he lived in. If you are interested in art or history I am sure you will enjoy this book.

Bellisimo!

While planning my upcoming trip to Italy, I kept seeing Caravaggio's name pop up for tours and museum highlights. When I saw a highly rated audiobook about him on Audible I was was excited but hesitated at 18.5 hours length. I'm not a huge art aficionado and never listened to an audiobook that long - would it be a mistake? A month later I overcame my hesitation and was so glad I did. This is a marvelous audiobook!

The author carefully introduced Caravaggio's world and why his paintings were so radical at the time both as art and religious symbolism. Occasionally, I would have to look up a word like "Mannerism" or "Baroque" means as I know less than even Art 101. Some reviewers have criticized that Andrew Graham-Dixon was too thorough with the story's context. I disagree as the political and religious subtext of Caravaggio's youth permeate his works and help clarify why he makes certain decisions later in life.

The narration is simply perfect. I would rank Ballerini as high as the legendary Frank Muller. A few tips: Wikipedia's list of all Caravaggio's work is a must so you can see the artworks (and see where it's located presently). Don't be afraid to rewind. There are a lot of names and works mentioned which can sometimes be missed if (like me) you're driving as you listen. I rewound quite a few times to ensure I knew exactly what was being said as oftentimes the author will analyze two works in the same chapter. If you plan on reading this and a book about Michelangelo (like Michelangelo and The Pope's Ceiling, which I loved), then I'd recommend reading Michelangelo first. Michelangelo's influence pops up a few times in this work and that extra bit of context is nice to have (but not necessary).

Ultimately, this is one of my favorite audiobooks ever and I'm so glad I read this before visiting Italy so I can truly appreciate his work. I highly recommend it even if you're a total art novice like myself.

So tragic, so outstanding

The book is very well researched and got to great lengths to reconstruct what might have been the many dubious situations and events in this enigmatic man's life.
The ending is so sad that I'll never forget it.

Italian names are almost always correctly pronounced, which is a rarity among native English speakers.

Good history but biased

The utter dismissal of any possibility that Caravaggio used an optical device by the author is very unfortunate.
Hilariously he often refers to the painting as “optical””cinematic” “photographic” ect and even makes mention of the large mirror in the painters possession as “unusual”, as well as describing the hole in his studio ceiling and the consistently dark spaces he worked in.
To any one who actually paints it is clear that to make such works with out drawing or underpainting of any kind is impossible by the unaided human eye. The controlled lighting, utterly direct painting method, interior spaces, and perspectival oddities are all clues that point to the use of a lens. Look how the figures are stitched together in space. Caravaggio’s secretive working practice, his close knit group of models (often repeated) and lack of any pupils or school bolster this, as well as his association with Galileo and the historical use and understanding of optics at the time.

T
he author falls into the same camp as so many literary intellectuals who, looking on the visual arts from far and above, demand a purity from genius that does not exist. His absolute dismissal is attributable to a need for magic and wonder that makes talent god given to a chosen few.
The mistake is to think that using an optical tool lessens Caravaggio’s genius- if anything it makes his works more human.

Beautiful book to compliment Caravaggio’s painting

Excellent research backed up with documented facts, laying to rest speculation by art historians who thought they knew the life of Caravaggio. Superb narration with excellent Italian tonality. As you read this book, it helps to look up the paintings by this unforgettable artist.