His loose style of watercolor painting brought him work for nearly 70 years. He also created about 100 fake van Goghs for the biographical film “Lust for Life.”
An influential lawyer, he negotiated blockbuster contracts for A-list clients, including the Clintons, the Obamas and the Bushes, while often acting as a political adviser.
Caro’s book on Robert Moses, a city planner who reshaped New York, is also a reflection on “the dangers of unchecked power,” and remains more resonant and relevant than ever.
Once called “probably the funniest and most malicious” of the postmodernists, his books reflected a career-long interest in reimagining folk stories, fairy tales and political myths.