Old state archives from Rome, show that Caravaggio had somewhat coloured past.
He had frequent brushes with the police, got into trouble for throwing a plate of cooked artichokes in the face of a waiter in a tavern, and made a hole in the ceiling of his rented studio, so that his huge paintings would fit inside. His landlady sued, so he and a friend pelted her window with stones.
Tack on a murderous brawl and you’ve got yourself a fine upstanding citizen.