the collector's folio

Caravaggio Most Popular Paintings

The 25 artworks by Caravaggio our visitors ask for most, ranked by popularity and presented one by one, with the specification and the price of each hand-painted reproduction.

Edition 2026 · 25 artworks Each artwork painted to order
Linen canvas · Certificate of authenticity · Delivered worldwide Caravaggio · 1571 – 1610

The Calling of Saint Matthew

1599 · original 322 x 340 cm

Experience Caravaggio’s ‘The Calling of Saint Matthew’! A Baroque masterpiece featuring dramatic realism & tenebrism. Explore faith, doubt, & transformation in this iconic 1599 painting.

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 1 of 247 artworks by Caravaggio
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$30232 × 31 cm Commission this artwork

Narcissus

1599 · Galleria Nazional d Art Antica, Rome · original 110 x 92 cm

Experience Caravaggio’s "Narcissus" – a Baroque masterpiece of intense realism & dramatic chiaroscuro. Explore this poignant myth reimagined, a powerful statement piece for your space.

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 2 of 247 artworks by Caravaggio
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$20228 × 35 cm Commission this artwork

Same size as the original$47092 × 110 cm Commission at original size

The Musicians

1595 · original 92 x 118 cm

Discover Caravaggio’s "The Musicians" – a Baroque masterpiece of youthful harmony & dramatic light. Explore this iconic painting's history, technique & symbolic layers.

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 3 of 247 artworks by Caravaggio
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$25236 × 28 cm Commission this artwork

Same size as the original$541118 × 92 cm Commission at original size

Judith Beheading Holofernes

1598 · Galleria Nazional d Art Antica, Rome · original 145 x 195 cm

Experience Caravaggio’s "Judith Beheading Holofernes" – a Baroque masterpiece of intense realism & dramatic chiaroscuro. A powerful biblical scene, perfect for art lovers & collectors.

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 4 of 247 artworks by Caravaggio
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$20237 × 27 cm Commission this artwork

Same size as the original$995195 × 145 cm Commission at original size

Experience the drama of Caravaggio's "Taking of Christ," a Baroque masterpiece rediscovered after being lost for centuries. Intense emotion, striking chiaroscuro, and powerful symbolism make this reproduction a captivating addition to any space.

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 5 of 247 artworks by Caravaggio
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$27736 × 28 cm Commission this artwork

Same size as the original$912170 × 134 cm Commission at original size

Ecce Homo

1609 · original 128 x 103 cm

Witness Caravaggio's masterpiece, "Ecce Homo." This dramatic Baroque painting captures Christ’s humbling before Pilate with intense realism and masterful tenebrism – a profound exploration of suffering and faith.

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 6 of 247 artworks by Caravaggio
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$22729 × 35 cm Commission this artwork

Same size as the original$584103 × 128 cm Commission at original size

The Supper at Emmaus

Experience Caravaggio’s revolutionary 'Supper at Emmaus'! Dramatic tenebrism, realistic figures & profound symbolism capture a pivotal biblical moment. A Baroque masterpiece for art lovers.

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 7 of 247 artworks by Caravaggio
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$25238 × 26 cm Commission this artwork

Salome with the Head of St. John the Baptist

1607 · National Gallery, London · original 91 x 167 cm

Experience Caravaggio’s "Salome" – a Baroque masterpiece of drama & emotion! Witness intense realism, chiaroscuro, & biblical storytelling. A stunning reproduction awaits.

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 8 of 247 artworks by Caravaggio
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$22735 × 29 cm Commission this artwork

Same size as the original$642167 × 91 cm Commission at original size

The Calling Of Saint Matthew

Experience Caravaggio’s "The Calling of Saint Matthew" – a Baroque masterpiece showcasing dramatic chiaroscuro & intense emotion. Explore this iconic biblical scene's history, symbolism & timeless beauty.

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 9 of 247 artworks by Caravaggio
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$32737 × 27 cm Commission this artwork

The Entombment of Christ

Discover Caravaggio’s ‘Crucifixion of St. Peter’! A dramatic Baroque masterpiece featuring intense chiaroscuro & emotional realism. Own a piece of art history.

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 10 of 247 artworks by Caravaggio
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$25231 × 33 cm Commission this artwork

David with the Head of Goliath

1606 · Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna · original 90 x 116 cm

Own a masterpiece! Caravaggio’s ‘David & Goliath’ – Baroque drama, tenebrism, & historical significance. High-quality reproduction for art lovers & collectors.

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 11 of 247 artworks by Caravaggio
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$20236 × 28 cm Commission this artwork

Same size as the original$479116 × 90 cm Commission at original size

Basket of Fruit

1596 · Biblioteca Ambrosiana, Milan · original 46 x 64 cm

Discover Caravaggio’s ‘Basket of Fruit’ (1596)! A Baroque masterpiece showcasing stunning realism & dramatic chiaroscuro. Own a piece of art history – explore this iconic still life.

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 12 of 247 artworks by Caravaggio
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$17736 × 28 cm Commission this artwork

Same size as the original$23564 × 46 cm Commission at original size

The Lute Player

1600 · Metropolitan Museum of Art, new york · original 100 x 126 cm

Explore Caravaggio’s ‘The Lute Player’! A Baroque masterpiece showcasing dramatic chiaroscuro & rich symbolism. Discover this iconic painting's history & timeless appeal.

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 13 of 247 artworks by Caravaggio
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$17736 × 28 cm Commission this artwork

Same size as the original$517126 × 100 cm Commission at original size

Supper at Emmaus

1606 · Pinacoteca di Brera, Milan · original 141 x 175 cm

Experience Caravaggio’s ‘Supper at Emmaus’! A dramatic Baroque masterpiece showcasing intense chiaroscuro & profound realism. Explore this iconic biblical scene's symbolism and historical significance.

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 14 of 247 artworks by Caravaggio
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$25235 × 28 cm Commission this artwork

Same size as the original$941175 × 141 cm Commission at original size

The Entombment (detail)

1602 · Vatican Pinacoteca, Vatican City

Witness the poignant beauty of Caravaggio's 'The Entombment,' a Baroque masterpiece capturing Christ’s burial with dramatic lighting and profound emotion. Explore its history & influence.

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 15 of 247 artworks by Caravaggio
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$17728 × 36 cm Commission this artwork

Madonna del Rosario (detail)

1607 · Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna

Experience the profound beauty of Caravaggio's 'Madonna del Rosario'! This iconic masterpiece captures divine devotion with dramatic light & shadow, housed in Vienna’s Kunsthistorisches Museum.

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 16 of 247 artworks by Caravaggio
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$17727 × 37 cm Commission this artwork

St John the Baptist (9)

1603 · Galleria Nazional d Art Antica, Rome · original 94 x 131 cm

Experience Caravaggio's 'St John the Baptist (9)': A masterpiece of light & shadow depicting the biblical figure with striking realism and emotional depth.

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 17 of 247 artworks by Caravaggio
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$17737 × 27 cm Commission this artwork

Same size as the original$509131 × 94 cm Commission at original size

Madonna del Rosario

1607 · Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna · original 364 x 249 cm

Witness Caravaggio's dramatic 'Madonna del Rosario'! This iconic Baroque masterpiece at Vienna’s Kunsthistorisches Museum uses chiaroscuro to evoke intense emotion and religious devotion.

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 18 of 247 artworks by Caravaggio
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$17726 × 38 cm Commission this artwork

Supper at Emmaus

1601 · National Gallery, London · original 141 x 196 cm

Experience Caravaggio's 'Supper at Emmaus'! This iconic Baroque masterpiece captures a pivotal biblical moment with dramatic light, emotional depth & realism. A stunning portrayal of faith and revelation.

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 19 of 247 artworks by Caravaggio
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$17737 × 27 cm Commission this artwork

Same size as the original$952196 × 141 cm Commission at original size

The Fortune Teller

1599 · The Louvre, Paris · original 99 x 131 cm

Caravaggio's 'The Fortune Teller' (1599) captivates with dramatic chiaroscuro and a mysterious scene of a gypsy reading palms. Explore the masterpiece at the Louvre.

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 20 of 247 artworks by Caravaggio
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$17737 × 27 cm Commission this artwork

Same size as the original$528131 × 99 cm Commission at original size

Beheading of Saint John the Baptist

1608 · Saint John Museum, Valletta · original 361 x 520 cm

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 21 of 247 artworks by Caravaggio
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$17738 × 26 cm Commission this artwork

The Sacrifice of Isaac (detail)

1601 · Galleria degli Uffizi, Florence

Witness Caravaggio's intense 'Sacrifice of Isaac'! This Baroque masterpiece captures Abraham’s fateful decision with dramatic lighting & profound emotion. Explore this iconic work at the Uffizi.

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 22 of 247 artworks by Caravaggio
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$17729 × 35 cm Commission this artwork

The Crowning with Thorns

1604 · Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna · original 1655 x 1270 cm

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 23 of 247 artworks by Caravaggio
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$17736 × 28 cm Commission this artwork

The Sacrifice of Isaac

1601 · Galleria degli Uffizi, Florence · original 104 x 135 cm

Experience Caravaggio’s ‘Sacrifice of Isaac’! A dramatic Baroque masterpiece renowned for its intense realism & chiaroscuro lighting. Explore this iconic work at the Uffizi.

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 24 of 247 artworks by Caravaggio
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$20236 × 28 cm Commission this artwork

Same size as the original$584135 × 104 cm Commission at original size

Death of the Virgin

1601 · The Louvre, Paris · original 369 x 245 cm

Experience the dramatic power of Caravaggio's 'Death of the Virgin'! This iconic Baroque painting captures Mary’s final moments with breathtaking chiaroscuro and profound emotion—a masterpiece housed at the Louvre.

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 25 of 247 artworks by Caravaggio
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$17726 × 39 cm Commission this artwork

The artist

Caravaggio

1571 – 1610

Quick facts

Works on APS247
Lifespan39 years
Best occasionsstatement, accent
Top 3 worksThe Calling of Saint Matthew, Narcissus, The Musicians
Color intensitymonochromatic, balanced
Top-ranked workThe Calling of Saint Matthew
Museums on APSThe Louvre, Detroit Institute of Arts, Kunsthistorisches Museum, Palazzo Pitti, Galleria Borghese
Art periodEarly Modern

Biography

The Life of Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio

Milan, 29 September 1571. The Duchy of Milan, under the Spanish Empire, provides the setting for the birth of Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio. He is known by several names: Michele Angelo Merigi or Amerighi da Caravaggio. His existence begins in a landscape of shifting political borders and heavy atmosphere. He moves through the world not as a scholar, but as a man of action and impulse.

Rome becomes the center of his gravity. He spends most of his artistic life within its walls, navigating a city of intense religious fervor and fierce competition. The streets of Rome provide the models for his work—the laborers and the outcasts. He does not seek the idealized beauty of the past. Instead, he finds his truth in the grit of the present. His presence in the city is marked by both rapid artistic ascent and a reputation for volatility. He is a man of the shadows, both in his technique and his personal conduct.

Early Life, Family and Training

Milan, 1571. The air is heavy with the scent of plague. Young Michelangelo Merisi watches as death claims his father and grandfather in a single day in 1577. His father, Fermo, worked as a household administrator and architect-decorator to the marquess of Caravaggio. Poverty settles over the family. His mother raises five children in these lean years, struggling to maintain a household until her own death in 1584.

By 1584, the boy moves into the workshop of Simone Peterzano. The apprenticeship begins in Milan. Peterzano, a former pupil of Titian, provides the technical foundation. The training is rigorous. He learns the fundamentals of Renaissance technique, but the spirit of the boy from Milan is already restless. He absorbs the Lombard tradition, valuing direct observation and naturalistic detail over the idealized forms of the High Renaissance.

Arrival and Rise in Rome

Rome, circa 1588 or 1592. The city is a crucible of religious fervor and intense competition. A young man in his twenties enters this landscape of grand ambitions, but he brings nothing with him. He is a penniless migrant, lacking a fixed address or any form of provision. He moves through the streets without the safety net of established status, a stranger in a city that demands immediate impact.

The struggle for survival is immediate. He finds footing through the patronage of Cardinal Francesco Maria del Monte. In the shadows of the Palazzo Madama, the artist begins to strip away the artificial elegance of Mannerism. He replaces elongated, idealized forms with something far more visceral. The transition from a struggling migrant to a recognized talent happens in the tension between the darkness of the Roman streets and the light of high-level patronage.

Patrons and Major Commissions

Rome offers no easy path for a newcomer, but the shadows of the city hold powerful allies. Cardinal Francesco Maria del Monte becomes a central figure in Caravaggio's ascent. This high-ranking ecclesiastical patron provides the stability the artist needs to move beyond the struggle for survival. Under the protection of the del Monte circle, the painter finds the space to develop his intense, naturalistic vision. This patronage is not merely financial; it is the bridge between a penniless migrant and a recognized force in the Roman art scene.

The stakes rise with the arrival of monumental religious commissions. In the Church of San Luigi dei Francesi, the Contarelli chapel becomes a stage for his evolving style. Here, he produces works that demand attention through their raw, unadorned humanity. The scale of these projects forces a confrontation between his gritty realism and the formal requirements of the Church. He is not alone in this sphere of influence; Vincenzo Giustiniani also emerges as a significant patron, further cementing the artist's position among the elite collectors of the era.

Revolutionary Technique and Style

Light does not merely illuminate the scene; it strikes. Through a technique known as tenebrism, Caravaggio employs violent contrasts between light and dark to command the viewer's attention. Shadows are not mere absences of light but physical, heavy presences that swallow the periphery, leaving only the essential subject exposed. This dramatic use of chiaroscuro carves figures out of an impenetrable black void. The effect is immediate and visceral.

He rejects the safety of preparatory drawings. Instead, he works alla prima, applying paint directly onto the canvas to capture a sense of immediacy. This method relies on close physical observation and the use of live models. He does not seek to idealize his subjects. Instead, he brings the people of the Roman streets—the laborers and the outcasts—into the realm of the sacred. The divine becomes profoundly human, marked by the dirt and weariness of real life.

The Calling of Saint Matthew (1599-1600)
The Martyrdom of Saint Matthew (1600)
The Entombment of Christ (undated)

Key Works and Masterpieces

The tension of the street enters the sacred through his early Roman works. Around 1594, The Cardsharps captures a moment of psychological maneuvering, where light cuts through the scene to expose the mechanics of deception. By 1596, the focus shifts to a moment of respite in Rest on the Flight into Egypt. Here, the divine is stripped of its usual ethereal glow, replaced by the heavy, physical presence of a family in transit, their exhaustion rendered with startling clarity.

As his command over shadow deepens, the compositions become more intense. In 1600, The Lute Player utilizes a sharp, focused light to sculpt the textures of the instrument and the figure, pulling the subject out of an impenetrable void. This technique reaches a peak of dramatic confrontation between 1599 and 1600 in The Calling of Saint Matthew. A single, piercing shaft of light strikes the scene, cutting through the darkness to bridge the gap between the mundane world of the tax collector and the sudden, transformative presence of the divine.

A Turbulent Life and Flight

The tension in Rome finally snaps. A brawl erupts, and in the chaos, Caravaggio kills Ranuccio Tomassoni. The fallout is immediate and absolute. A murder charge follows, and with it, a death sentence. He is no longer just a controversial painter; he is an outlaw. The city he once navigated through patronage and talent now becomes a place of pursuit. He must leave everything behind.

The flight is a frantic movement across the Mediterranean. He moves through Naples, Malta, and Sicily, always looking over his shoulder. Even in exile, the brush does not rest. The shadows in his work grow heavier, mirroring the life of a man constantly on the run. He seeks a papal pardon, a way back to the center of the art world, but the darkness of his past follows him through every port and province.

Later Years and Death

The momentum of his life is a series of frantic movements. After the violence in Rome, the path leads through Naples, Malta, and Sicily. He is a man in constant motion, always looking toward the next refuge or the next confrontation. In 1609, a clash in Naples leaves him disfigured, a physical mark of his volatile existence. He is an outlaw, moving through the Mediterranean, seeking a papal pardon that remains out of reach. The tension between his creative output and his legal status defines these final years.

The end arrives in 1610. He is traveling from Naples back toward Rome, perhaps finally closing the circle of his exile. He reaches Porto Ercole, in the State of the Presidi, Spanish Empire. He is 38 years old. The exact cause of his death remains a subject of debate; theories range from fever and wounds to the possibility of lead poisoning. He dies in the shadow of the very cities he once dominated, leaving behind a trail of unfinished business and a legacy of darkness.

Legacy and Artistic Influence

The shadows he cast extended far beyond the borders of Italy. His approach to light and darkness fundamentally altered the course of Western art, breaking the grip of Mannerism and setting the stage for the Baroque era. This shift was not a quiet transition; it was a seismic movement that redefined how reality is captured on canvas. His influence ripples through the works of giants like Peter Paul Rubens and Rembrandt, whose own handling of light and shadow owes a debt to his radical naturalism.

A movement of imitators and innovators emerged in his wake. These followers, known as the Caravaggisti, carried his dramatic tension across Europe. They adopted his method of using intense, focused light to carve figures out of an impenetrable void, ensuring his visual language became a standard for the next generation of painters. He did not merely change a style; he changed the way the eye perceives the human condition through paint.

The Calling of Saint Matthew
The Martyrdom of Saint Matthew
Saint Matthew Writing his Gospel

Where to See His Works Today

The physical remnants of his vision are scattered across Europe’s most significant institutions. In London, the National Gallery holds ten of his works, placing a substantial portion of his output within reach of the city. The Louvre in Paris maintains a collection of seven paintings, while the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna and the Galleria Borghese in Rome each house six. These sites act as the primary repositories for his dramatic use of light and shadow.

Travelers seeking his specific religious and secular subjects find them in diverse settings. In Rome, the Galleria Borghese offers a concentrated look at his output. The Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Antica also holds significant pieces, including the work depicting Judith beheading Holofernes. In Malta, the Saint John Museum contains the monumental canvas of the Beheading of Saint John the Baptist. Elsewhere, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and the Galleria Doria Pamphilj in Rome preserve his presence in the collections of major international museums.

The Calling of Saint Matthew
The Lute Player
David with the Head of Goliath
The Supper at Emmaus
The Entombment of Christ

Questions & Answers

In which historical period did Caravaggio work?

Caravaggio worked in the Early-Modern period. The period situates the artist's activity in history.

Where are Caravaggio's artworks grouped by technique?

The All Medium page groups Caravaggio's artworks by technique.

Where can I see the color profile of Caravaggio's work?

The color profile of Caravaggio's work is shown on the artist's Palette Genome page.

By the WikiOO.org Editorial Team Updated Oct. 12, 2026

Collector's quiz

In which city was Caravaggio born in 1571?
Under which master did Caravaggio begin his apprenticeship in 1584?
Which technique uses violent contrasts between light and dark to command attention?
In what year did Caravaggio die in Porto Ercole?
Which of these works is listed in the catalog as being dated 1596?

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