118 of 124 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Very Interesting Account of Caravaggio, January 14, 2000
I picked up this book after reading Desmond Seward's 'Caravaggio: A Passionate Life'. As I stated in my review of that book I had no prior knowledge of this artist and it was the beautiful colour plates that initially attracted me to the book. Peter Robb's account of the life of Caravaggio is a much larger book, over 560 pages with numerous B&W and exquisite colour plates. The story covers all aspects of Michelangelo Merisi's (M) life and the author attempts to answer the questions about this artist's dark life. Peter Robb provided an insight into the politics, art and people of the period which I found very interesting and put much of M's life in perspective. I found that the story flowed along faultlessly and it was a joy to read and to learn about the paintings produced by M during his life. I did find one aspect of the book a little annoying. The author made mention or reference to a number of Caravaggio's paintings but did not provide any plates to illustrate these pictures. In the end I bought a small D&K art book which I used to cross-reference all of the artist pictures when mentioned in the narrative. Other than that I have no complaints of this beautifully presented book and I am sure that anybody who wants to learn more about this extraordinary man will certainly enjoy this book.
"There was art before him and art after him, and they were not the same." - Robert Hughes
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140 of 157 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
Biography as Fiction, March 14, 2000
It is hard to understand the recent enthusiasm for Peter Robb's "M", a book whose approach to the painter [M]ichelangelo da Caravaggio, as one reviewer has noted, is "unashamedly populist" and "disreputable." I am frankly puzzled that Amazon readers and professional reviewers seem unfazed by the liberties Robb has taken with historical material in this 570-page tabloid with a Fritz Lang title. Confusing fact and fiction in historical biography is simply not commendable--even if it is done with "passion and panache." Inventing central facts in a subject's life, as Robb does here, goes way beyond even the dubious license of Edmund Morris in his biography of Ronald Reagan. There is scant historical evidence to support the description of a love relationship between Caravaggio and Francesco (Cecco) Boneri, to which Robb dedicates dozens of fictional pages. Nor is there anything in the record to justify Robb's Hollywood ending that Caravaggio was murdered by the Knights of Malta. Robb's vulgarization of Caravaggio's works and the people he associated with is mere sensationalism and detracts from the few interesting observations the author provides about the artist's style and social context. Given that several excellent books on Caravaggio have appeared in the last few years, especially those by Catherine Puglisi and Helen Langdon, the New York Times and other reviewers have done a real disservice to the public by giving such prominence to one of the worst.
David M. Stone, Associate Professor, Italian Baroque Art, University of Delaware
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44 of 48 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
It's Amazing How Much Of M's Life Can Be Reconstructed, March 28, 2000
I would have given this book 5 stars without a moment's hesitation but for one issue. The Author goes into very detailed analysis on 83 paintings. The color plates are limited to 8, and then there are 20 black and white faces equally divided between, Caravaggio, and 4 of his models, Mario, Cecco, Fillide, and Lena. If you are very well schooled in this man's work this may not be an issue. However I, like one other reviewer went out and bought a book so that I could see what the Author was talking about. This is a great read, but as a major work, or definitive work, it is incomplete.
I also have read Helen Langdon's book, "Caravaggio A Life", which was wonderful, and Desmond Seward's, Carravaggio A Passionate Life", which is third amongst these three.
For so famous an individual, it is amazing what an enigma he has remained to history. Without his passion that kept him in touch, and in trouble with the police and a variety of individuals, including, Cardinals, Popes, The Knights Of Malta, to name a few, his already vague personal history would be a stretch to document.
There has been some criticism of the Author's extensive expansion upon what some consider very limited evidence. I really feel this is a matter of degree. His entire life history is still being revised, as are the paintings that are attributed to him. According to this Author he signed one painting in his career.
In fairness to the Author he goes on at length at the beginning that this is "his hypothesis", he never presents his opinions as being beyond reproach. He also rightfully acknowledges that what we know of this man continues to expand and to change. The Author's ending of Caravaggio's life is also called, "pure hypothesis". I found it intriguing, but I have read other possibilities that are also not without merit. Based upon his conduct throughout his life, and the extremely powerful enemies he made, the Author's "hypothesis" is a reasonable one. This does not mean it is the definitive one, and we probably never will know, as the last 500 years has not solved the issue.
Overall this is a solid work, and while the Author does interpret he makes it clear when he is making a "hypothesis", and I found them intriguing.
A recommended book, that also comes with a strong recomendation to have a visual collection of his work as a reference aid, as it will add immeasurably to your reading enjoyment.
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