Caravaggio is known for his adherence to reality but how did he weave the real lives of his models into his paintings? What became of Fillide Melandroni, courtesan to cardinals, the star of Caravaggio’s Judith and Holofernes who was under the control of pimp Ranuccio Tomassoni whom Caravaggio murdered? Why did Caravaggio choose Fillide’s friend, street prostitute Anna for the penitent Magdalene? What role did fellow artist Mario Minniti play in Caravaggio’s works? And was Caravaggio his own best model? 

Image: Caravaggio, Martha and Mary Magdalene, c.1598. Public domain via Wikimedia Commons