It is the end of summer in 1592, and the great graphic novelist Milo Manara imagines the young artist Michelangelo Merisi de Caravaggio just bare miles from where he spent most of his artistic life, in Rome, Italy. Only one crossing of the bridge is allowed each day (no reason given why, but it makes the plot interesting), and Caravaggio is in a race with a rich landowner to be the first to the bridge.
Buy Caravaggio: The Palette and the Sword: Book 1Caravaggio is a handsome, young artist, but that is of no use here. In Rome, he saves an elderly gentleman from a group known as Tomassoni’s Hooligans who do not appear again in this volume. The elderly gentleman takes Caravaggio to a local pub where wine is poured on him from above by a group of careless drinkers, which nearly leads to a fight.
Another apprenticed artist takes Caravaggio home with him, and Caravaggio is so obsessed with paint, he spends the night drawing. By morning, he is asleep, but the master of the house, the great painter, is stunned by Caravaggio’s painting abilities and believes he must find a great master for him to study with. Caravaggio is sent to the Studio of the Cavaliere D’Arpino where he thrives and quickly earns a name for himself.
On several occasions, important people, such as the Cardinal Francesco Maria del Monte, tell Caravaggio that “You wish to paint for the people — most commendable! But the general public can only enjoy your work in the churches…only there is it possible for them to see your art.” Caravaggio sees the intelligence in this advice and begins to work fully as an up-and-coming Christian painter.
Lucky for us, this is Volume 1A of the Fantagraphics Milo Manara Signature Edition Library. We can expect more to come. Milo Manaro covers the story, art, and colors. The translation from Italian is by Brandon Kander and Diana Schutz. Edits and letters are handled by J. Michael Catron. As part of the Fantagraphics collection, this edition verges on that of a perfectly produced art book. No, the paper isn’t as thick as one might hope for, but the colors are bright and line delineations are crisp and the inky blacks and bright whites Caravaggio are known for look spectacular in this edition.
The book finishes with a few Story Notes. These are not marked within the text, so you will need to keep on your toes or read them all at the end. The Story Notes are followed by a reasonably comprehensive and recent Bibliography. Followed by an essay titled “Manara and the Maestro” by Claudio Strinati. This short essay is a smart discussion regarding how an artist goes about telling the life story of another artist through his own art. Last, the book ends with more than 25 beautifully reproduced Caravaggio paintings (1592-1606), including the absolutely astonishing The Crucifixion of Saint Peter (1601), and Judith Beheading Holofernes (c. 1598 – 1599 or 1602).
