Historian Francesca Cappelletti argues that writing a biography of Caravaggio is nearly impossible. The artist is shrouded in layers of mythology that distort his figure. In her new book, the author avoids a linear narrative and instead reconstructs his life through ten key paintings, from Young Sick Bacchus to the Martyrdom of Saint Ursula. The key lies in judicial documents.
The judicial file as a source of historical data 🗂️
Cappelletti leverages the painter's litigiousness to access reliable records. Each fight, each arrest, and the murder of Ranuccio Tomassoni in 1606 were recorded in notarial deeds and court proceedings. These documents allow tracing his arrival in Rome at the end of the 16th century, his professional rise through high-level commissions, and his fall from grace. The author filters out the legend and extracts concrete data from each incident.
The Cappelletti method: less myth, more police reports ⚖️
If Caravaggio had known that his street brawls would serve to write a book centuries later, he might have tried to behave a little better. Or not, because that way he would have left fewer pieces of evidence. The genius of chiaroscuro was an expert at creating shadows in his paintings and also in the courthouses. Thanks to his penchant for trouble, today we have data where before there were only legends.