James Robinson will be speaking on Michelangelo Merisi Da Caravaggio, who stands as a pivotal figure in Western Art, and his style, summarized in the painting, Conversion of Saint Paul. Why this work is such an important achievement of visual communication and oil painting practice will be the subject of this lecture. Caravaggio’s life of violence and tragedy, coupled with his commitment to utilize extreme lighting effects within images, often overshadows his true accomplishments. We will place the painting within its proper historic context and consider the intent of the artist, which led Caravaggio to embrace tenebroso, and make radical changes to the Conversion of Saint Paul’s design. The lecture will conclude with an exploration of Italian painting methods of the time.