Caravaggisti

Caravaggisti refers to a group of painters who were heavily influenced by the Italian Baroque artist Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio. These artists, active in the early 17th century, adopted Caravaggio's distinctive style, which included dramatic use of light and shadow, known as chiaroscuro, and a realistic, often gritty, portrayal of their subjects. Caravaggio's approach to naturalism, depicting religious and historical scenes with ordinary people as models, was revolutionary for its time and profoundly impacted his followers.

The Caravaggisti spread throughout Italy and beyond, with significant centers of activity in Rome, Naples, Utrecht (where they were known as the Utrecht Caravaggisti), and Spain. Artists like Artemisia Gentileschi, Orazio Gentileschi, Bartolomeo Manfredi, and Battistello Caracciolo are considered prominent figures within this movement. They emulated Caravaggio's tenebrism, where darkness dominates the canvas and light is used to spotlight key elements, creating intense emotional and psychological effects. Their subject matter often retained religious themes but was presented with a new sense of immediacy and human vulnerability. Despite Caravaggio's short career and controversial life, his artistic legacy through the Caravaggisti proved enduring, shaping the course of Baroque painting across Europe.