This fictional portrait of Italian Renaissance artist Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio (Nigel Terry) follows the painter as he wanders the streets, often using prostitutes and homeless people as models for his work, which was lauded in his own time. Involved with two very different lovers, Ranuccio (Sean Bean) and Lena (Tilda Swinton), Caravaggio leads a troubled life in spite of his relative success, with his reckless behavior steering him towards an early grave.