Beyond his extraordinary works, Caravaggio also left behind a mystery: that of his untimely death. His short life was turbulent and provocative, and the circumstances of his death remain enigmatic. In The Seal of Caravaggio, Luigi De Pascalis offers his own interpretation of the story.
The young Caravaggio arrives in Rome and is hired to work in the studio of the renowned painter Cavalier d’Arpino. He paints mostly still lifes, although he much prefers portraiture and longs to take on greater artistic challenges. But Cavalier d’Arpino is not only a painter — he is also an art dealer specializing in works imported mainly from Northern Europe.
Caravaggio becomes fascinated by a small painting that has just arrived at the workshop, a work by Hieronymus Bosch. It depicts, in meticulous detail, a daring and bewildering tangle of figures, some naked and others clothed. Determined to prove to his master that he is capable of painting human figures — and drawn to the painting by an inexplicable attraction — Caravaggio secretly copies it and keeps the replica for himself. What he does not realize is that this act will soon change his life forever. Hidden within the painting is a precious secret, and someone is prepared to do anything to possess it.
What mystery lies concealed behind the work of the great painter?
At the very beginning of his career, Caravaggio finds himself entangled in an affair that will follow him throughout his short yet extraordinary life.
