No one seemed to think of it in the city facing the Mediterranean Sea
He ended up in Porto Ercole.
He was Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio.
His life was so Bohemian.
In his early years he lived in poverty, and it wasn't until Rome that things really began.
While painting in the square, his talent came to the attention of the cardinal, an authority of the day.
In fact, since then, his life only needs painting, has been free of food and clothing.
But he was a fighter by nature.
He believed in radical naturalism. It's scary, bold and emotionally contrasting, just like his real life
Fascinating and dangerous at the same time
The Calling of Saint Matthew has always been one of Preti's most attractive works.
The painting depicts Matthew, one of Jesus' 12 apostles, being called to sainthood.
It was that light that brought our attention to St. Matthew.
The light and shadow, the strong contrast of light and shade, the people and things emerging in the shadow are so dramatic.
In his paintings hundreds of years ago, we already see the way movies are lit today.
He spent his life on the run because of constant fights and injuries, and finally murder.
Milan, Naples, Sicily, Malta, Rome -- cities where his fugitive spirit was left.
Waiting for a papal pardon to return to Rome, he left the world in Porto Ercole with an unsolved mystery..
He wrote a unique script of his life,
Penetrating the painting seems to give us some answers.
Preti's original article
Image source: Internet Pictures