pencil and story: Milo Manara

colors: Simona Manara

Historical and fictionalized reconstruction of the life of Michelangelo Merisi, known as Caravaggio (1571-1610).
The story begins in 1592, with the arrival in Rome of the young Michelangelo.
He finds lodgings in the slums of the city where he quickly ends up in trouble to protect a maid.
His talent as a painter was soon noticed and found a place in the workshop of Knight D'Arpino.
After yet another quarrel and a night in prison, Caravaggio manages to meet Cardinal Francesco Maria Del Monte, who commissions him a painting.
Michelangelo uses his street friends and the whores he frequents as models.
He creates many paintings for the Cardinal, in which he demonstrates all his exceptional talents.
After the death of a beautiful prostitute with whom he was in love and who he used many times as a model, Caravaggio kills the noble Ranuccio in a duel, who was responsible for the girl's death.
Caravaggio has to flee Rome in 1606.
Manara manages to beautifully reproduce the works of Caravaggio in his story.
He adds to the story a discreet pinch of malice, certainly present among the Roman streets of the period, exploiting his ability to represent the female body.
As always, it is a pleasure to witness his artistic skills!