the good and the gruesome: the exhibition includes the artist’s Portrait of Maffeo Barberini Saint Catherine of Alexandria and Judith Beheading Holofernes Photo © Alberto Novelli and Alessio Panunzi not because of their traditional appreciation over the centuries but because they were rescued from oblivion by pioneering art historians Just as Bernard Berenson ‘created’ Lorenzo Lotto Roberto Longhi can be said to have ‘discovered’ the revolutionary contributions of Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio (1571-1610) These connoisseur-scholars researched their artists’ biographies as historians while equally tracing their stylistic qualities as art critics Caravaggio’s biography and towering artistic reputation have been firmly established Exhibitions devoted to the Baroque master can hardly fail since any gathering of his autograph works will guarantee a beautiful experience Perhaps that is the simple explanation for why so many of these shows are organised; fresh scholarship is almost beside the point Visitors are attracted by the dramatic life as much as by the ingenious talent of a figure who has inspired numerous films and novels—a gay icon of 17th-century Rome and a villain who did not refrain from killing when enraged The Caravaggio 2025 exhibition at the Gallerie Nazionali di Arte Antica is accompanied by an aggressive marketing campaign and a populist press release of densely woven superlatives that could easily frighten off a reviewer We are promised “one of the most important ambitious exhibition projects” ever dedicated to the artist offering a “unique opportunity to rediscover Caravaggio’s art in a new light critical reflection and the close comparison of his masterpieces” Any gathering of his autograph works guarantees a beautiful experienceIt is an undeniable achievement to have assembled 24 paintings by Caravaggio from around the world (about the same number as are permanently located in Rome) The high level of the enterprise is assured by the reputation of the show’s three co-curators Maria Cristina Terzaghi and Thomas Clement Salomon who are currently among the most distinguished specialists of the artist’s work Yet the title Caravaggio 2025 leaves the scope of the show a mystery Is this just a box-office attraction capitalising on the Catholic Church’s Jubilee year Press materials claim that the curators are exploring “Merisi’s entire artistic trajectory” through their selection of “an exceptional number of autograph paintings” as if it were possible to establish which works are definitively by Caravaggio Four incompatible mottos lead the visitor through the four rooms of the exhibition from the historical “Making a name in Rome” to the technical “Invigorating the dark shades” the iconographic “The sacred and the tragic between Rome and Naples” one of a trio of works from the collection of the artist's first major patron Cardinal Francesco Maria del Monte © The Metropolitan Museum of Art/Art Resource/Scala The show opens with the disputed Narcissus from the museum’s own collection manifesting that visual evidence of Caravaggio’s early creations is still lacking Three cheeky paintings from the collection of Cardinal Francesco Maria del Monte—The Cardsharps with a Cupid in the background—are reunited granting the artist’s first major patron an ample role On entering the second room, one is received by the spectacular portrait of Maffeo Barberini, later Pope Urban VIII. Although it was identified as a Caravaggio by Longhi in 1963, the painting has only recently been exhibited in public Its juxtaposition with a contemporaneous picture of the same sitter makes it easy for viewers to determine which Caravaggio attribution is tenable and which is not The entire large room is otherwise dedicated to three pictures each on a wall of its own: Martha and Mary Magdalene Judith Beheading Holofernes and Saint Catherine of Alexandria The artist has the same model perform three totally different characters and he directs her with a sublime virtuosity as the sensual Mary the brutal Judith and the sensitive Catherine in her sumptuous princely robe Elegantly draped against a shattered breaking-wheel with sharp spikes Catherine gently caresses the second instrument of her martyrdom Left to right: Caravaggio's Saint John the Baptist from the Gallerie Nazionali di Arte Antica and Saint John the Baptist in the Wilderness from the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art Photo © Alberto Novelli and Alessio Panunzi the brushstrokes of Saint John the Baptist in the Wilderness from the Nelson-Atkins Museum one of the artist’s most frequent subjects reveal the excitement to be gained from contemplating the pristine surface of an original Caravaggio The room presents two more recent additions to the painter’s oeuvre: The Taking of Christ with a prominent bearded figure who has a more Flemish appearance than might be expected of a Roman governor like Pontius Pilate a great disappointment as the culminating picture of the show Attuning this black picture—to which the harsh white scrubbings pretend to apply some modelling—to the anthracite final room does not make it any less of an alien among the artist’s works There is overwhelming documentary evidence to support the attribution to Caravaggio even if it does not prove that The Martyrdom of Saint Ursula was his final work Documents also testify to the painting’s compromised technical condition from the very beginning Although Caravaggio's The Martyrdom of Saint Ursula recently underwent restoration the painting’s technical condition was compromised from the very beginning Photo © Alberto Novelli and Alessio Panunzi Restoration is not magic that can bring back lost layers of pigment and the handling of paint There is special providence in each overpainting and removing one is not always a revelation A conservator should contemplate whether it was applied by a predecessor or a correction by the artist himself as was concluded in the previous restoration of The Martyrdom of Saint Ursula in 2004 The painting is now a ruin—in Monty Python’s terms an “ex-Caravaggio”—and no amount of technical progress can change this Its dire condition should be communicated to visitors the Portrait of a Maltese Knight on the wall opposite is a delightful demonstration of Caravaggio’s virtuosity While there are extremely engaging paintings present in the exhibition in-depth reflectionon the artistic and cultural revolution sparked by this Lombardy master” and an exploration of “his deep influence on the art of his time and of the future as well as on the contemporary collective imagination” are unfortunately never fulfilled when no work illustrates either contemporary tendencies nor Caravaggio’s legacies gives the show five stars and says that it is “certainly a contender” as “the greatest Caravaggio show in history” despite having a lot of recent material … and despite presenting itself as ‘a unique opportunity…’ ends up being at least lukewarm in terms of scientific innovations which do not seem to be at the centre of the exhibition” • Caravaggio 2025, Gallerie Nazionali di Arte Antica, Palazzo Barberini, Rome, until 6 July • Curators: Francesca Cappelletti, Maria Cristina Terzaghi and Thomas Clement Salomon by the National Gallery of Ireland and Jesuit Fathers is hailed as “north-south-east-west” moment preview14 April 2023An exhibition about biblical heroine Judith stars Caravaggio paintingThe Minneapolis Institute of Arts has made the most of a loan exchange with the Palazzo Barberini in Rome news22 November 2024Caravaggio portrait, unseen for decades, goes on view in RomeThe portrait of Maffeo Barberini was first attributed to Caravaggio 60 years ago but had not been publicly displayed until now Essential digital access to quality FT journalism on any device Complete digital access to quality FT journalism with expert analysis from industry leaders Complete digital access to quality analysis and expert insights complemented with our award-winning Weekend Print edition Terms & Conditions apply Discover all the plans currently available in your country See why over a million readers pay to read the Financial Times “Adolescence” chronicles the events surrounding the murder of teenage Katie Leonard by her 13-year-old schoolmate Jamie Miller Caravaggio would appear to have more in common with the troubled young Jamie Miller than edifying answers to the hard questions the show raises watching Steven Graham’s masterful crime drama interspersed with visits to the blockbuster Caravaggio 25 exhibit at the Palazzo Barberini in Rome it seemed to me that the problematic Milanese painter might provide some useful insights into the cautionary tale Deviating from the typical police procedural “Adolescence” doesn’t leave the audience wondering for long about the youthful suspect’s guilt After many tears and protestations of innocence a damning video at the end of the first episode leaves no doubt that the boy stabbed his schoolmate it then pivots to investigate how the murder occurred including the great privilege of being raised by a loving family But his de facto isolation in a virtual world of idleness exacerbates the boy’s existential awkwardness and aimlessness Each episode is filmed in a single-take style a technique similar to the dramatic devices employed by Caravaggio to rivet his viewer’s attention has forced conversations to sidestep the thorny questions of race and social strata and to focus attention on this critical moment of adolescence when decisions are made and relationships change that Caravaggio’s artistic ideas align with the showrunners’ Share Struggling through the painful yet captivating four episodes of the hit Netflix series \u201CAdolescence,\u201D I was struck by several parallels to the Baroque bad boy Caravaggio, especially as Rome prepares to receive an estimated million young people for the Jubilee of Adolescents beginning on April 25. \u201CAdolescence\u201D chronicles the events surrounding the murder of teenage Katie Leonard by her 13-year-old schoolmate Jamie Miller watching Steven Graham\u2019s masterful crime drama interspersed with visits to the blockbuster Caravaggio 25 exhibit at the Palazzo Barberini in Rome \u201CAdolescence\u201D doesn\u2019t leave the audience wondering for long about the youthful suspect\u2019s guilt exacerbates the boy\u2019s existential awkwardness and aimlessness a technique similar to the dramatic devices employed by Caravaggio to rivet his viewer\u2019s attention that Caravaggio\u2019s artistic ideas align with the showrunners\u2019 Share Rome was a thriving hotspot for creativity It attracted artists from all over the world to its vibrant streets to leave their mark on history The 21-year-old left Milan for Rome in 1592 with a dream to take the art world by storm and began painting with a near fanatical speed One of his first pieces following his arrival in Rome was the now iconic ‘Boy with a Basket of Fruit’ It depicts a young boy in an intricately detailed shirt languidly staring at the viewer as he holds out a basket of fruit Caravaggio liked to use live models and paint quickly to capture a moment in time His friend Mario Minniti modelled for this painting The basket contains a variety of typical Italian summer fruits – apples Everything is painted with an almost visceral the individual seeds in the figs’ flesh The boy is similarly depicted with an idealised perfection Such a depiction is very in line with the Mannerist style that dominated Italy at the time This approach is exemplified by artists like Michelangelo or Leonardo Da Vinci not everything is quite as perfect as it first seems This reminder of the oncoming end to pristine perfection hangs over the painting like a shroud Caravaggio leans into this further in his future work Just a few years after ‘Boy with a Basket of Fruit’ Caravaggio paints what is simply called ‘Basket of Fruit’ No one holds the wicker basket any longer – instead Their once tantalisingly bright skins are now marred by wormholes The bunches of grapes now include shrivelled and the leaves that sprout from the basket blacken with age The yellowed background seems to add to this sense of disease and decay dominating the canvas and leaving all the fruit with a sickly edge we see Caravaggio’s shift to the radical naturalism and realism that now defines his style He rejects the need to portray an idealised He chooses to instead depict the world as it truly is – rot and all Such a choice was revolutionary at the time The brutality and violence that came to characterise his future paintings seems to almost be foreshadowed here Even when painting something as simple as a basket of fruit he can’t stop himself from adding these reminders of death This painting can in many ways be seen as a memento mori (a reminder of oncoming death) The fruit we gaze upon will remain as it always is The paintings themselves make both immortal More than four centuries have passed between these paintings and today and yet the boy depicted and the fruit he holds are just as pristine as the day they were first marked down The painter Mario Minniti died aged 63 in 1840 He became a successful painter in his own right and lived a full life after his youth spent in Rome staring down a life full of potential and possibility Art offered that young boy an immortality that life could never give him Close Read By Jason Farago A painting depicting seven men and boys in a dimly lit room A shaft of light rakes through from an unseen window in the upper right-hand corner of the image One man on the far-right bears the slightest trace of a halo who has a long beard and is seated at a table with companions on either side of him They come around just four times a century have been flocking into the city’s holy sites: its four papal basilicas Slight zoom in on the two men standing on the right side of the image is a chapel I’ve visited who knows how many times since I got serious about Italian art Pan left to the five men and boys at the table The bearded man at the center of this group is pointing to himself and looking in the direction of the haloed man The crowds form reliably in front of Caravaggio’s “Calling of St Matthew,” one of three large pictures depicting the life of the Evangelist though many of the visitors were not there just for artistic appreciation They were there to see the pope’s favorite painting A photograph showing a man with short white hair from behind He is dressed in a red-and-white vestments and stands in the grand and towering space of the Sistine Chapel in addition to leading more than a billion Catholics around the world is also the ultimate custodian of the world’s greatest art collection Zoom in on the soaring fresco behind the Chapel’s altar literature and cinema — both as instruments of evangelization and guardians of human dignity was a “vital reality,” one he contrasted with the “throwaway culture” of the global market He may have appreciated the ideal beauty and restraint of the High Renaissance but that period was not where his heart lay A painting depicting the flagellation of Christ a man with a fierce and vicious expression grips a whip fashioned from branches I admire Caravaggio; his paintings speak to me,” Francis said shortly after his election as pope No artist is more closely identified with the Vatican than Michelangelo But Francis gravitated to the realism — even the populism — of a later painter with much less polish A painting depicting Christ being brought down from the cross while three women lament in the background A fair amount of Caravaggio’s current popularity derives from his bad-boy reputation — he stabbed a pimp to death in 1606 — compounded by the homoeroticism of his mythological and religious scenes But Francis saw something else in the rawness of Caravaggio the late pope personally chose to anchor the Vatican’s pavilion with Caravaggio’s monumental painting of Christ being lowered into the tomb A return to the painting depicting seven men and boys During his trips to Rome when he was still the archbishop of Buenos Aires Francis favored lodgings right near San Luigi dei Francesi “Every time I came to Rome,” he later said during an address at St he would seek out one painting in particular Matthew,” in the church’s Contarelli Chapel This was Caravaggio’s first major commission It has been on view here since 1600 — another jubilee year a hotheaded arrival from Milan looking for a break in Rome’s cutthroat art world Zoom in on one of the younger figures in the middle of the painting He arranged his scene from the Gospels in a shallow whose drama came from its intense contrast of light and dark The receding linear perspective of the High Renaissance is gone The figures are shoved all the way forward Zoom to the bearded man seated centrally at the table Matthew was a publican — a Roman tax collector And the painter has dressed him not in biblical clothing but in a soft velvet hat and burnt-umber doublet: the contemporary clothes of Caravaggio’s Rome To one side of Matthew is a pair of colleagues On his other side are two young companions Pan over to the haloed man at the far right of the image The figure who has entered from the right is wearing a very different outfit: less elegant This picture is on the left wall of the somewhat gloomy Contarelli Chapel Which means Caravaggio chose to position Jesus behind St where the light from the unseen window gives way to the gloom of the counting house Pan left to the left hand of the bearded man he reflexively grasps at the cash on the table “It is the gesture of Matthew that strikes me,” Francis said shortly after his elevation to the papacy The instinctive lunge for the coins was one he saw in himself a sinner on whom the Lord has turned his gaze,” the pope continued “And this is what I said when they asked me if I would accept my election as pontiff.” A painting depicting a young woman violently slicing through the neck of a man who lies prostrate in bed Red blood spurts from his neck as an old woman looks on Francis was certainly not alone in his fondness for Caravaggio his approachable clarity and his intense biography (his rap sheet with the Roman police was substantial) he’s the one Italian old master modern people like to claim as one of our own This “anti-Michelangelo,” as one contemporary called him lowered the Holy Family to the Roman swamp He pulled his models from the streets; he painted prostitutes A photograph of two Caravaggio paintings hung in a dark gallery The painting of the woman beheading the man appears on the wall on the left classically minded visitors to Rome looked right past his paintings Today he is “practically an industry,” as Keith Christiansen the former Met curator and Caravaggio scholar New paintings keep getting discovered or reattributed One poor soul dug up some bones in a Tuscan port town and called them the artist’s A photograph of two more Caravaggio paintings hung in a dark gallery The painting on the right depicts a man playing a lute is packing locals and pilgrims into Rome’s Palazzo Barberini A closer look at the painting of the man playing the lute But it can be hard to see his achievements as a painter through a century’s Romantic projections The page zooms in to focus on the face of one of the man’s companions He has brown curled hair and arching eyebrows pouting among the beautiful boys of his early “Musicians.” Brute A photograph of a sumptuous and ornate chapel inlaid with marble colorful painting depicts the assumption of the Virgin Mary we see a darker image: a Caravaggio showing the crucifixion of St But imagine a different encounter than the one in the gallery in front of pictures mostly painted for private patrons An image of Caravaggio’s Crucifixion of St in a supine position and wearing a white loincloth being transported on a large wooden cross by three figures the frankness of Caravaggio’s painting has another ring — one that resonates with Francis’ vision of a “poor church.” Zoom in on a figure on the left of the painting He is looking down at Peter and has wrapped his arm around Peter’s legs and the cross Caravaggio favored a painting of poverty and plainness Saints go to their deaths in barren fields of black An image of Caravaggio’s Seven Acts of Mercy painting which includes depictions of angelic winged figures at the top of the frame There are also several men depicted in various poses carrying a body presumably for burial and so forth Caravaggio endeavored to bring the saints and the angels down from the heavens to earth But the naturalism had a function that went beyond popular accessibility Zoom in to a cluster of figures on the right side of the painting; one of these is the man holding the candle what makes Caravaggio so much more than an illustrator is less the realism of the sacred image than its translation — through the bodies and faces of ordinary people — from the time of the Gospels to now where the winged figures look down on the scene And at his best (this is my own favorite Caravaggio that introduction of ordinary people into sacred imagery took on the aspect of transubstantiation Zoom to a cluster of figures on the left side of the painting through a vigorous use of light and shadow whose effects could ennoble the lowest members of society with something like divinity Return to the painting depicting seven men and boys This was a technique called chiaroscuro — “light-dark,” in Italian — and Matthew,” Caravaggio elevated it to a hallmark Zoom to a window in the top-right of the painting The room where Matthew has his calling — in the Gospels it’s called a “receipt of custom,” a tollbooth — is unadorned The Greco-Roman motifs of Renaissance painting are miles away This is a tavern scene turned into a religious scene He’s taken the conventions you’d use to depict lower-class revelry and Pan right to the haloed figure and the brightly lit wall above him to where the light just grazes the lower-right corner of the one visible (and dark) window from the standing pair of Jesus and Peter to Matthew and his four seated friends is wearing what Caravaggio’s audience saw as contemporary clothing — the light ceases to be a metaphor Illumination has become an instrument of conferring nobility on those who would never seem to deserve it where three large-scale Caravaggio paintings are visible Two ornate columns of green marble flank the painting at the center acculturated to the darkened theater and the Hollywood spotlight these techniques are familiar: too familiar The lights and darks come preloaded with the drama of film noir and stoke the mythology of Caravaggio as thuggish prodigy A Caravaggio painting depicts a jumble of figures with expressive faces Matthew is lying on his side as a man wearing only a loincloth holds one of the saint’s hands An angel figure hovers above offering a palm Yet what Caravaggio was really doing circa 1600 was something perhaps not so out of line with Francis’ approach: stripping the holy narrative of its adornments where a boy turning away from Matthew looks back at him with his mouth agape Across from the “Calling,” in the Contarelli Chapel The heavy chiaroscuro is as likely to illuminate your martyrdom as your glory is attune yourself to the world’s summonses To those varieties of rational and sensual experience that do not wash over you That’s art’s whole function: to cast light on what is too often in shadow “Art must not discard anything or anybody,” said Pope Francis Images: “The Calling of St Matthew,” Mauro Magliani/Getty Images; Sistine Chapel via Getty Images; “Flagellation of Christ,” via Museo Nazionale di Capodimonte Naples; “The Entombment of Christ,” Wikimedia Commons; “Judith Beheading Holofernes,” via Gallerie Nazionali di Arte Antica Rome; Installation views of “Caravaggio 2025,” via Gallerie Nazionali di Arte Antica; Photos by Alberto Novelli and Alessio Panunzi; “The Musicians,” via The Metropolitan Museum of Art Vito Arcomano/Alamy; “Crucifixion of Saint Peter,” DeAgostini/Getty Images; “The Seven Works of Mercy,” Wikimedia Commons; Contarelli Chapel Lucas Schifres/Getty Images; “The Martyrdom of St Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article whereby the slightest perceived insult or injury was met with force Caravaggio’s many fights and disagreements with others fit into that wider pattern of violence the first perhaps inspired by the divine longing of the Bridegroom in the Song of Songs the second by the ancient association between art and the Roman god of wine and creative abandon Given that each remained with Cesari after Caravaggio’s departure it is possible that they had been painted as demonstration pieces: proof to his master that he could indeed paint more-ambitious subjects than flowers and fruit alone Museo del Prado, Madrid, Spain. Photo credit: https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Museo_del_Prado licensed under https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0 One of my favorites is the Museo del Prado in Madrid My husband and I visited Spain in May 2024 I was so disappointed when I realized that I would miss seeing the newly “discovered” painting at The Prado: Ecce Homo recently attributed to Michelangelo Merisi We had the opportunity to go to Spain again in October 2024 I jumped at this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see Ecce Homo Ecce Homo—Latin for “Behold the man”–was recently identified as a work by the great master himself in-your-face painting presents the hesitant Roman governor Pontius Pilate presenting a sorrowful brutally crowned Christ to the people in Caravaggio’s interpretation of the oft-painted scene from the Passion of Christ The painting is on display until February 28 Ecce Homo was only recently attributed to Caravaggio Before that it was thought to be from the school or a follower of José de Ribera The Prado describes the painting as “one of the greatest discoveries in the history of art.” I would have to agree let’s dive into the history a bit to better understand this painting and its provenance passing through the collections of King Phillip IV and several high-ranking officials before going to Spanish diplomat Evaristo Pérez de Castro Méndez in 1821 The most interesting part of the story is that the painting was put up for auction in April 2021 at Madrid’s Ansorena auction house it was attributed to a follower of Spanish master artist José de Ribera The Prado took notice of the work and placed an export ban on it arguing that there was “sufficient stylistic and documentary evidence to suggest that it might have been done by Caravaggio himself.” (ArtNews) an associate art history professor and Caravaggio expert at University Roma Tre immediately booked a plane ticket to Madrid and was among the first to identify it as a signature work by the master I have no doubts.” She identified the red of Christ’s robe and the face of Pilate from other Caravaggio works.” (ArtNews) Private collection currently on display at Museo del Prado It was recently restored to its former glory Other experts corroborated the attribution including a nuclear engineer who specializes in the application of scientific techniques to the study and conservation of cultural heritage a rigorous restoration followed along with an evaluation of the materials of the painting and with a study of its history of conservation reaffirming the initial attribution to Caravaggio According to the Spanish newspaper El Pais the auction was scrapped and an English collector purchased Ecce Homo for €30 million promising to donate the work for public display after his death following this story was like Leonardo da Vinci’s Salvator Mundi all over again I had heard about its discovery a few years ago knew that the painting had been sold to a private collector and assumed that I would never see it in person now with it on display at The Prado for a limited time how could I possibly resist returning to Madrid to see it We were exceptionally fortunate to view it early on a Saturday morning with only one other visitor in the gallery the galleries would be teeming with tour groups Ecce Homo as displayed at the Museo del Prado Ecce Homo is dramatically hung alone in Gallery 8A which is really just the north wall in Gallery 8 facing Caravaggio’s powerful David with the Head of Goliath which is on permanent display in Gallery 8 We had the luxury of quietly studying Ecce Homo and comparing it with David with the Head of Goliath The Prado has a strict “no photography” rule so I sadly could not take any photos of its placement.) the curators placed paintings by José de Ribera nearby so one could easily compare and contrast the painters’ styles We also recognized the models in Ecce Homo from other Caravaggio works After spending considerable time in Galleries 8 and 8A The Prado truly is a world treasure and a must visit for any art lover the museum was now teeming with tour groups but encourage you to book passage to Madrid before February 28 You are in for a real treat and may not get another chance to see this masterpiece can have Ecce Homo all to yourself to enjoy in quiet contemplation Wikimedia Commons/Eric TurquinA 16th-century painting by Italian Baroque artist Caravaggio was recently discovered collecting dust in an attic Sometimes the most valuable treasures are hiding in plain sight which was certainly the case with a French family when they discovered a priceless painting thought to be lost forever in their attic According to Artsy after going through a strenuous five-year authentication the artwork has been verified by authorities to be an original piece by Italian Baroque master Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio The painting is Caravaggio’s Judith and Holofernes and is estimated to have been created in 1607 It depicts the beheading of Assyrian General Holofernes by the beautiful widow Judith The artwork is being prepared for auction in Toulouse with bidding starting between $113.2 million to $169.7 million The hefty price tag could set a record⁠ seeing as the last most expensive Caravaggio went for a mere $145,500 in 1998 The discovery of the priceless painting might seem like serendipity but really it was only a matter of time before the family found the hidden masterpiece in the attic of a home that has belonged to the family since 1871 It had miraculously survived years of neglect in a leaky attic behind old mattresses and box springs The six-foot-wide painting went unnoticed when the family cleared and fixed the attic during a leak It went untouched when the house was broken into by thieves who apparently missed the biggest score the home had to offer It wasn’t until the family was cleaning out the attic space that they found it and contacted local auctioneer Marc Labarbe who reached out to Parisian Old Master dealer Eric Turquin for a second opinion It took them three months of analysis to confirm that it was “Not only is it a Caravaggio, but of all the Caravaggios that are known today, this is one of the great pictures,” Turquin told the Daily Mail “The painting is in an extraordinarily good state much better than the Caravaggios I have seen in Naples.” The painting was officially authorized as a Caravaggio original in 2016 by the former director of the Museo di Capodimonte in Naples Italian art historian Mina Gregori believes that the painting could be the work of another artist Daniel Leal-Olivas/AFP/Getty ImagesFrench art expert Eric Turquin speaks alongside the painting believed to be the second version of Judith Beheading Holofernes by Italian artist Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio Caravaggio expert Gianni Papi at the University of Florence believes that the painting is a second copy of the original piece made by French artist and dealer Louis Finson who used to paint alongside Caravaggio and lived in Naples at the beginning of the 17th century a 1607 letter addressed to the Duke of Mantua from a Flemish painter visiting Italy noted that one of two Caravaggio paintings being sold was a Judith and Holofernes price tagged at a little under 300 ducats Historians believe that the seller of the painting was Finson But that’s where the painting’s trail goes cold before it disappeared until 2014 One theory about how the painting moved from Naples is that Finson had left it with a friend or sold it during one of his business trips to the French town in the last years before his death we knew that as soon as we would pronounce the name of Caravaggio there would be controversy,” Turquin said “We knew that because every single Caravaggio that was discovered since 1951 every single picture has been the object of a debate and fights.” The influence of Caravaggio’s method was such that it sparked a movement called Caravaggisti which was a loyal following of painters dedicated to emulating the Italian painter’s style Caravaggio is known to have created 68 artworks only five of his existing paintings are privately-owned Despite the skeptics, the newly discovered painting has already enjoyed worldwide fame with exhibitions in Milan, London, Paris, and New York. The long process of the painting’s rehabilitation has also been documented in a 168-page catalogue and on the official website for its auction Next, learn about the 12th-century samurai sword that was also found in an attic. And then, read about how NASA lost priceless space artifacts due to poor record-keeping Borghese: Photo: By vololibero. Sick Young Bacchus: Photo: Wikimedia Commons The painting is one of eight Caravaggio works in the Galleria Borghese’s collection which also includes Boy with a Basket of Fruit (1593) David with the Head of Goliath (1609–10) and Saint Jerome Writing (around 1606) Francis in Meditation (1604-6) and Narcissus (around 1597-99) Directions here. Book tickets here Note: This work is temporarily on view in the Palazzo Barberini exhibition This altarpiece is regarded as one of Caravaggio’s greatest masterpieces and represents a peak in his mature style It was originally commissioned for the Chiesa Nuova before being moved to the Vatican Pinacoteca after its return from France in 1817 It offers a break from traditional depictions of Christ’s burial he is presented on the anointing stone—used to prepare his body after his death—a decision that adds to the immediacy and emotional weight of the scene aging Nicodemus struggles under Christ’s lifeless figure The strong diagonal composition and dynamic movement amplify the characters' humanity—reflecting an approach to realism that profoundly influenced later artists such as Peter Paul Rubens and Paul Cézanne In this way it encapsulates Caravaggio’s profound influence on European painting Directions here. Book tickets here. This unconventional depiction of John the Baptist brims with erotic undertones injects an ambiguity that again challenges religious convention yet his melancholic gaze suggests something deeper—perhaps a foreknowledge of his grim fate Scholars suggest it subtly mocks Michelangelo’s idealised nudes in the Sistine Chapel Caravaggio painted at least eight versions of John the Baptist exploring different facets of the saint’s identity The Musei Capitolini also houses another painting of John the Baptist attributed to Caravaggio Directions here. Book tickets here. Note: This work is temporarily on view in the Palazzo Barberini exhibition This depiction of the Conversion of Saint Paul—which was commissioned by Tiberio Cerasi the treasurer general of Pope Clement VIII—is intense and unflinching His rigid limbs and open hands suggest shock rather than triumph Caravaggio dresses him as an ancient Roman soldier breaking from his usual contemporary clothing its weighty form indifferent to the revelation The painting’s harsh contrasts and bare realism strip the scene of grandeur focusing instead on Paul’s physical vulnerability An earlier rejected version remains in the Odescalchi Balbi Collection Directions here. Visitor information here. captures the transformative moment when Christ summons the tax collector Matthew to follow him Most scholars identify Matthew as the bearded man pointing at himself A diagonal beam of light symbolising divine intervention pierces the darkness Pope Francis has spoken of visiting San Luigi as a young man to contemplate this masterpiece The other works from the cycle—The Martyrdom of Saint Matthew and Saint Matthew and the Angel—remain beside it in the chapel making it one of the most significant sites in which to experience Caravaggio’s revolutionary approach to storytelling Directions here. Visitor information here. Caravaggio’s Madonna di Loreto is yet another example of how the artist broke from traditional Christian iconography of the time with just the halo above her head giving her status away and Caravaggio’s dramatic light makes the moment vivid Many viewers were shocked by the painting at the time It reflects the Church’s bond with the poor Directions here. Visitor information here. In Caravaggio’s first large-scale religious work evokes the bard Orpheus from Greek mythology as he serenades a sleeping Madonna and Child the donkey’s wet eyes lend an earthly quality uninhabited glade—is more dreamscape than refuge Rarely would Caravaggio allow such free play of detail tangled foliage and snaking cloth visible in the composition The painting was intended an allegory of music as sustenance providing nourishment for souls in flight Directions here. Book tickets here. one sinewy arm stretching toward an ink well Commissioned by Cardinal Scipione Borghese the work is split between warm flesh and cold shadow heightening the tension between life and death Loose brushwork and abrupt details have led some to believe it was left unfinished the austere lighting—only sharpens its power faith and the fleeting nature of human effort Directions here. Book tickets here. Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker and the depiction of figures frozen in a moment of heightened emotional tension—are all representative of his mature style places his fingers on the wound in his side The legendary genius artist's vibe never left the streets of Rome and his message lives eternally His human figures are full of narrative and stay forever in an instant shoot of the deepest reflections and feelings of pain and pleasure The legendary genius artist's vibe never left the streets of Rome and his message lives eternally and universally His figures are full of narratives captured forever in an instant shoot depicting the most profound reflections about feelings of pain and pleasure every masterpiece by the greatest of the greatest Michelangelo Merisi called Caravaggio seduces and frees the tormented human spirit his paintings his legend and his way of seeing through the darkness with the slashes of light I have seen his works in the churches of my home town where I was so fortunate to grow up and study the History of Art Since I remember I could feel his aura in every corner of the borgos near the Vatican down to the Fori Imperiali I was dreaming of his studio in the candlelight Michelangelo Merisi called Caravaggio has been called the worst: gambler Whatever you want to make of the man behind the artist Today a new exhibition in the heart of Rome at the stunning Palazzo Barberini sees some of his masterpieces coming back to the eternal city and the Palace where they were kept once The show presented by Le Gallerie Nazionali di Arte Antica will run until July so if you are in Rome and you are keeen on old masters Described as: One of the most important and ambitious projects featuring Michelangelo Merisi in the organisers' press release is curated chronologically in different sectioned rooms Caravaggio (Michelangelo Merisi) I Bari 1595 c.a olio su tela; 94,2x130,9 cm Kimbell Art Museum Fort Worth (USA) Crediti: Kimbell Art Museum showcases the paintings where Caravaggio uses the model Fillide Melandroni enfant terrible in the Rome of the XXVII century and talked his friend and lover (The Loves of Caravaggio painting the saint and heroin using the beautiful Roman young woman also known to the police and Vatican's courts Was Michelangelo Merisi pushing the boundaries of art at a time when the obscure reactionary forces of the Contro reform and Inquisition terrorise here to use a word that in Rome means great on a supernatural Michelangelo puts at the centre of his art the act of painting the attractive models and the gorgeousness of the human condition courageous and extraordinary observing and feeling the vibes of the people The women in his art are the heroines and so heroes are the defenders of justice and freedom Caravaggio (Michelangelo Merisi) Giuditta e Oloferne 1598-1602 olio su tela; 145x195 cm Gallerie Nazionali di Arte Antica – Palazzo Barberini Roma (IT) Crediti: Gallerie Nazionali di Arte Antica Istituto Max Planck per la storia dell'arte/Enrico Fontolan Caravaggio (Michelangelo Merisi) Giuditta e Oloferne 1598-1602 olio su tela; 145x195 cm Gallerie Nazionali di Arte Antica – Palazzo Barberini Roma (IT) Crediti: Gallerie Nazionali di Arte Antica Istituto Max Planck per la storia dell'arte/Enrico Fontolan Particulare I leave a few of the images to speak for themselves from the exhibition with one of my all-time favourites painting of the show and one of my other favourites is The Taking of Christ not seen before in a public display (sorry you will find out if you go to the show no photos are allowed for this last) The show to go in Rome in this jubilee year besides the strangely placed lights and the large audience I had a blast of sentiments in front of some of my best art pieces Caravaggio (Michelangelo Merisi) Autoritratto in veste di Bacco (Bacchino malato) 1595 c.a and bring your own headphones (they do not give them out) for the audio guide so try to stand at an angle of the paintings and move about to avoid the crowd The best time to visit is lunchtime in the week or the latest hours Romans are the best people and super friendly yet they might be noisy loud and chaotic in how they organise things during the exhibition talking loudly about what to have for dinner meditation patience (well I was one of those who learnt to be cooler in London) play your own music on the headphones Have a full immersion and watch Golden Globe cinematography winner 2023 Caravaggio's Shadow (scene of violence in it; you have been warned well I read again those two: The Loves of Caravaggio Utet and Caravaggio the Great paintings and the Saint Luigi Of the French Church Take your time after the show and walk via Quattro Fontane arriving at the Quirinale square for a breathtaking view of the city Michelangelo Merisi called also Caravaggio Caravaggio where he moved with his family and grow up (his father was an architect for the Marchese of Caravaggio) was born on September 29 Gallerie Nazionali di Arte Antica - Palazzo Barberini MT Sacchi is the CEO and the founder of ARTE GLOBALE The Association of Art & Antiques Dealers This version of the painting was authenticated in 2014 A pale woman is seated against a dark background her head lolling back and a single tear streaking down from her almost shut eyes Her elbow is perched on a barely visible skull Light and shadow dance across her white and red robes and hands—hallmarks of the artist’s skilful chiaroscuro a painting recently attributed to Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio (1571 – 1610) which has been brought to India through a joint partnership between the Cultural Centre of the Italian Embassy and the Kiran Nadar Museum of Art (KNMA) According to the Italian ambassador to India the painting’s display marks the first time that a work by the 16th-century artist has been shown in the country Mary Magdalene in Ecstasy was unveiled on 11 April at the Italian Embassy Cultural Centre in Delhi, in the presence of several dignitaries, including the Italian deputy prime minister Antonio Tajani. It will be on display for the public at KNMA’s outlet in a mall in Delhi’s Saket area from 18 April to 18 May. Rome saw many tumultuous events during Caravaggio’s lifespan, including a famine and religious upheaval. It is perhaps why themes of violence and agony were often reflected in his work, as well as his personal life. Caravaggio’s father was a well-known architect in Milan, but died during the plague when the artist was a child. After this, he moved to Rome, where he gained acclaim for bringing an acute sense of realism and dramatic use of light and dark to his paintings. While this earned him the reputation of a groundbreaking Baroque artist and many wealthy patrons, it did not bring him stability—he is often characterised as violent and a “madman”. It is believed that he made Mary Magdalene in Ecstasy while he was on the run after killing a man in 1606. There have been many heated disagreements as to who Mary Magdalene, the subject of Mary Magdalene in Ecstasy and companion to Jesus in the four gospels, was. Due to the ambiguity of her identity, she has become a well known figure in popular culture, and has been depicted in television shows and films such as The Da Vinci Code and, most recently, Martin Scorsese’s The Saints. Yet, Caravaggio’s depiction of Mary Magdalene offers none of the scandal or sensationalism often associated with the religious figure. Instead, the painting captures an intensely human moment—sorrowful, spiritual, and transcendent—leaving room for viewers to draw their own conclusions. review27 October 2020The Big Review: Artemisia at the National Gallery in LondonThe artist’s first major UK exhibition uses dramatic spaces and biographical detail to bring her career into closer focus preview14 October 2019Caravaggio and Bernini show promises to be about more than just its titular #barockstarsExhibition at the Kunsthistorisches Museum will highlight the multiple trends and rich aesthetics of early Baroque art in Rome early 1600s Courtesy Gallerie Nazionali di Arte Antica A privately-owned portrait believed to be by Caravaggio goes on display Saturday (23 November) in a “momentous” Rome exhibition for the first time since knowledge of it was first made public 60 years ago the son of a Florentine nobleman who was coronated as Pope Urban VIII in 1623 shows the future head of the Catholic church wearing a black biretta and green sleeveless cassock as he clutches a folded letter and stares intently to one side The painting will be on show until 23 February 2025 at the Palazzo Barberini which acquired its name when Maffeo Barberini bought the residence from the cardinal Alessandro Sforza in 1625 and now forms part of the state-run Gallerie Nazionali di Arte Antica It will be displayed in the palazzo’s landscapes hall Caravaggio's Portrait of Monsignor Maffeo Barberini (early 1600s) on display at the Palazzo Barberini Courtesy Gallerie Nazionali di Arte Antica “This work is fundamental because you can count the number of portraits by Caravaggio on the fingers of one hand,” Thomas Clement Salomon director of the Gallerie Nazionali di Arte Antica “Showing this work 60 years after experts first attributed the work to Caravaggio is something incredible.” The painting was acquired by its current owners Knowledge of the painting was first made public in 1963 when Roberto Longhi one of Italy’s most distinguished art historians Half a dozen experts—including Keith Christiansen a former chair of the department of European paintings at the Metropolitan Museum of Art an art historian at the University of Vienna—have since confirmed Longhi's attribution Detail of Caravaggio's Portrait of Monsignor Maffeo Barberini (early 1600s) Courtesy Gallerie Nazionali di Arte Antica Clement Salomon says 17th-century documentary evidence indicated that the Baroque artist had been commissioned to paint Barberini further diagnostic analysis had confirmed the work’s provenance “beyond any doubt” Scholars have long been divided about whether another privately-owned portrait of Barberini that is displayed at Florence’s Palazzo Corsini is attributable to Caravaggio The portrait is expected to return to its private owners after the exhibition. preview3 May 2024Truth and post-truth in American art explored in new show in RomeCurated by Massimiliano Gioni, the works in the Palazzo Barberini exhibition come from the collection of the luxury retail magnate Tony Salamé Reporting by Alvise Armellini and Crispian Balmer Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab , opens new tab Browse an unrivalled portfolio of real-time and historical market data and insights from worldwide sources and experts. , opens new tabScreen for heightened risk individual and entities globally to help uncover hidden risks in business relationships and human networks. © 2025 Reuters. All rights reserved as the screensaver on the laptop of that friend who won’t stop talking about the glory of the Baroque Period Despite the fact that Caravaggio’s paintings such as ‘Judith Beheading Holofernes’ ‘Medusa’ and the controversial ‘Calling of Saint Matthew’ have gained worldwide traction they have primarily remained in European institutions under unimpeachable security academicians and artists,” says KNMA founder and chairperson Kiran Nadar who has also felt drawn to Italian painter’s canvases during her travels “To experience it firsthand and up close is a historian globally recognised as the most important expert of Caravaggio claims about the portrayal of Mary Magdalene’s hands in the painting The fact that this Caravaggio painting will be showcased on the heels of a significant Salvador Dalí exhibition in February brought to India by the curator who maintains the most authentic archives of his works signals India’s emerging status as an attractive draw for the estates of noteworthy international artists “There is a growing global recognition that Indian institutions are ready—and committed—to engaging with art at an international level,” Nadar agrees “There is a growing trust in India’s ability to care for contextualise and present historically significant works from the West that resonate with both local and international audiences.” The KNMA has previously also presented works by other acclaimed global artists such as Marina Abramović The viewing of ‘Mary Magdalene in Ecstasy’ at the KNMA will be elevated with an immersive VR experience that will bring the painting to life by inviting visitors to step into Caravaggio’s world—his studios and the very streets and places that shaped his art the museum will host documentary screenings and conduct educational programmes around the painting to provide further context and foster dialogue among students and audiences alike “This presentation will allow Indian audiences—especially young people and our future artists—to engage deeply with a masterpiece dialogue and interpretation,” Nadar promises As this brilliant chiaroscuro is cast upon Indian walls for the first time, it serves to be more than simply admired. It also affirms. By hosting the work of a European art legend, India’s value to the global art landscape and its ability to contribute towards moulding the experiences and interpretations of art are further bolstered ‘Mary Magdalene in Ecstasy’ will be on view at KNMA Saket from 18 April to 18 May 12 new art shows in India we’re excited about this April An M. F. Husain painting sold at ₹119 crore is now the costliest modern Indian artwork to be auctioned 25 years ago, Saffronart founders Dinesh and Minal Vazirani set out to make Indian art more accessible. They succeeded The material on this site may not be reproduced except with the prior written permission of Condé Nast Link to homepage the museum said."Only very few specialists since the 1960s have had the opportunity to see it in person and it is one thing to know the painting from photographs and another to see it in person and realise its quality curator Paola Nicita said.Barberini's portrait is believed to have been painted at the turn of the 17th century and shows the future pope seated and seemingly giving orders with his right hand.The museum showing the artwork is housed in Palazzo Barberini built during Urban VIII's papacy by Bernini and fellow baroque architect Carlo Maderno and which remained in family hands until after World War Two.(This story has been refiled to fix the first surname in the credits line)Additional reporting by Roberto Mignucci and Remo Casilli New research suggests that Caravaggio painted one of the Baroque era’s most dramatic nativity scenes in Naples rather than Sicily, as previously thought, indicating that the artist’s final years in the southern Italian city were even more prolific than believed up until now. The Adoration of the Shepherds (1609) shows a swaddled baby Jesus cradled by the Virgin Mary as a group of stooping shepherds peer down. The painting was believed to have been commissioned by Capuchin Franciscan fathers at the church of Santa Maria degli Angeli in Messina and painted by Caravaggio in that city. It is now on display in Messina’s Regional Museum. Now, a discovery by a young art historian has confirmed that theory while also throwing up fresh revelations. During research in the historical archives of the Bank of Naples, Vincenzo Sorrentino, who was appointed the curator of 17th-century paintings and sculptures at Naples’s Museo di Capodimonte in September, found a previously undocumented payment receipt for the nativity scene addressed to Caravaggio. The receipt lists the Capuchins’ treasury as the payer and indicates that payment had been sent to Naples, where Caravaggio spent two stints including the last year of his life during a four-year exile for the murder of Ranuccio Tomassoni. Other works painted during his Naples years include Mary Magdalen in Ecstasy (1606) and The Flagellation of Christ (1607). “I believe it was painted in Naples and sent to Messina, possibly by boat,” Sorrentino says of The Adoration of the Shepherds. “This is significant because it shows Caravaggio’s first followers in Naples may have laid eyes on the painting without having to travel and worked some of his iconography into their own output”. The theory, he continues, would explain why some Madonnas in paintings by the Neapolitan artist Battistello Caracciolo so closely resemble those of Caravaggio. The receipt indicates that Caravaggio was paid 300 ducats for the nativity scene, Sorrentino says, noting that artisans typically earned ten ducats per month at the time. This, he explains, showed that the artist was able to command increasingly high prices after winning fame in Rome. Sorrentino says that he discovered the receipt during university research nine years ago; only when he realised that no Caravaggio experts had cited the document did he decide to dig deeper. His findings were published in January in Paragone, an art and literature review. Research also led to the discovery of two further receipts for an unknown painting by Caravaggio for which he was paid 100 ducats. The receipts refer to Lanfranco Massa—an art dealer who delivered The Martyrdom of Saint Ursula (1610) from Naples to Marcantonio Doria, a Genoese nobleman—and Ippolita Cattaneo de Marini, a Genoa-based noblewoman who Sorrentino believes may have commissioned the work. Attempts to identify the painting have so far been fruitless, Sorrentino says. “If there are any clues to this mystery they will surely be found in Genoa,” he concludes. feature11 April 2025Ten essential Caravaggio paintings to see in RomeWhether or not you can make it to the blockbuster exhibition on the artist now open at the Palazzo Barberini here are a selection of his most captivating works to see in the city all year round news3 April 2024Secrets of Caravaggio’s last masterpiece revealed in new London show The Martyrdom of Saint Ursula painting will take centre stage in a forthcoming show at the National Gallery You don't have permission to access the page you requested What is this page?The website you are visiting is protected.For security reasons this page cannot be displayed was an early Italian Baroque painter who combined naturalistic theatrical motifs with provocative unreadability He is celebrated for his real and individual figures and offers texture of character to the viewer this artist was marked out from his contemporaries by positioning the viewer as a witness to the scene This offered a sense of immediacy and presence to the work Caravaggio’s life has received traction for its fascinating complexities and his violent and extravagant personality His naturalist representation of religious scenes has earned him his notoriety; however it has been suggested by scholars that his later paintings suggest a growing guilt and self-punishment Read the full story on Times2 Older adults need to eat more protein than younger people Exceptional homes: a sky-top view in Victoria please register for free or log in to your account Explore Delhi’s best art shows this week—Caravaggio’s Baroque masterpiece Noor Anand Chawla pens lifestyle articles for various publications and her blog www.nooranandchawla.com © SUNDAY GUARDIAN LIVE 2025 | DIRECT NEWS PRIVATE LIMITED | ALL RIGHTS RESERVED Home - Pope - Caravaggio Returns to Rome: Rediscovered Works and New Exhibitions Caravaggio was one of the most influential Italian painters of the Baroque period His chiaroscuro technique has gone down in art history some of his finest works have brought the artist back to Rome through the exhibition at the National Gallery of Ancient Art in the Barberini Palace FRANCESCA CAPPELLETTIExhibition OrganizerThe exhibition tells the story of Caravaggio in 24 masterpieces on exceptional loans from museums around the world and guides us from the artist's beginnings in Rome around 1595 to 1610 the year of his death and the year of the last paintings exhibited here along with Saint John the Baptist from the Borghese Gallery is an extraordinary opportunity to discover and revisit this great artist with a fresh perspective The exhibition demonstrates the influence Caravaggio left on the art scene Some of the works on display have been rediscovered and exhibited for the first time in Italy while others come from private collections THOMAS CLEMENT SALOMONExhibition OrganizerPaintings that somehow return home which was on display here at the Barberini Palace until 1934 but also The Gamblers from the Campbell Museum in Texas or The Musicians at the Metropolitan Museum of Art It's an extraordinary exhibition that also features two recently rediscovered works which we recently exhibited here at the National Galleries of Ancient Art a unique opportunity to see something like this The Caravaggio 2025 exhibition not only offers an in-depth look at the master's works but also invites us to explore the evolution of his style with his luminous paintings full of symbolism where the drama and tragedy of human destiny take center stage MARIA CRISTINA TERZAGHIExhibition OrganizerThe exhibition moves from a very youthful style characterized by a more luminous painting although always with an allegorical or moral background where the drama of human destiny and sacred drama becomes paramount Caravaggio is an artist completely contemporary with modern man precisely because of this extraordinary meditation on what happens at the moment of death This event will remain open until July 6 of this year It is a unique opportunity to rekindle the legacy of this Italian artist in the heart of Rome your new go-to podcast to spice up your weekday mornings with relevant news and behind-the-scenes from Brussels and beyond From the economy to the climate and the EU's role in world affairs this talk show sheds light on European affairs and the issues that impact on our daily lives as Europeans Tune in to understand the ins and outs of European politics Dare to imagine the future with business and tech visionaries Deep dive conversations with business leaders Euronews Tech Talks goes beyond discussions to explore the impact of new technologies on our lives the podcast provides valuable insights into the intersection of technology and society Europe's water is under increasing pressure floods are taking their toll on our drinking water Join us on a journey around Europe to see why protecting ecosystems matters and to discover some of the best water solutions an animated explainer series and live debate - find out why Water Matters We give you the latest climate facts from the world’s leading source analyse the trends and explain how our planet is changing We meet the experts on the front line of climate change who explore new strategies to mitigate and adapt Look out for your first newsletter in your inbox soon The best of Time Out straight to your inbox We help you navigate a myriad of possibilities Sign up for our newsletter for the best of the city By entering your email address you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and consent to receive emails from Time Out about news Sign up for our email to enjoy your city without spending a thing (as well as some options when you’re feeling flush) By entering your email address you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and consent to receive emails from Time Out about news, events, offers and partner promotions. Worldwide the exhibition includes celebrated works and recently rediscovered paintings There are brilliant new events going on in the world this year, and at the start of 2025 we at Time Out handpicked the most exciting of the bunch. On the list there’s a brand-new adventure trail in Australia, the re-opening of a legendary institution for Black art in New York and a dazzlingly restored vintage steam train that will whisk you around Vietnam, however, topping the list was visiting the Italian capital for its once-every-quarter-century Jubilee. There are tonnes of events happening across Rome throughout the year but one we’re particularly excited for is an enormous retrospective of the work of ‘Baroque master’ Caravaggio. we don’t know a lot about the artist’s early life but his work – which was mostly produced in Rome and is characterised by intense realism and the use of everyday people as subjects – made him one of the most influential artists of the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries. Recommended: What is the Rome Jubilee and what’s happening in 2025 No wonder there’s such hype around this exhibition It opened on March 7 and will be running until July 6 at the Palazzo Barberini and includes 24 works on loan from a bunch of international collections ranging from celebrated masterpieces to recently rediscovered paintings. Saint John the Baptist in the Wilderness and Saint Francis of Assisi in Ecstasy – three pieces that were commissioned by banker and patron of the arts at the time In addition to the 24 works on display at the Palazzo Barberini Caravaggio’s only known ceiling painting will also open for visitors to view for the first time It’s on display at Casino di Villa Boncompagni (better known as Villa Aurora). While you’re here, check out our guide to the best things to do in Rome Did you see that this underrated European country has been named the world’s top wellness destination Plus: The eight European cities with the best public transport, according to Time Out. Stay in the loop: sign up to our free Time Out Travel newsletter for all the latest travel news and best stuff happening across the world Thanks for subscribing! Look out for your first newsletter in your inbox soon! tiktok facebook twitter youtube About us Contact us One struggles beyond measure to catch a glimpse of an exhibition in the exhibition halls of Palazzo Barberini where for just over a week the public has been admitted to a new And we are not just referring to the physical commitment required by a string of Caravaggio’s cornerstones crammed into a space wholly inadequate to accommodate the crowds of pilgrims patiently awaiting the moment to pass through the holy door to plunge into the darkness of Caravaggio 2025 a title chosen to associate Merisi’s name with the year of the remission of sins will think the tens of thousands who have already gone on the offensive of online ticket resales and make the organization jubilant (it seems the sixty-thousand-booked-entry threshold has already been knocked down after just a few hours of going on sale) One struggles to catch a glimpse of an exhibition because the halls are borderline impassable packed as they are with crowds of adoring devotees They look like Angelico’s blessed ones in contemplation of Christ the Judge who is displayed a little further on in the halls of the permanent collection: equally attentive with the only difference being that instead of embracing each other like Angelico’s blessed Caravaggio’s worshippers scramble to procure a few seconds in a frontal position in the presence of the sacred icon before being engulfed by those who have lost their sprint and are pushing from behind Or they raise the decibels of their audio guides beyond the threshold of personal listening by triggering canons with countless counterpoint voices The most intrepid even go so far as to monopolize the space in front of the work in order to have their posed selfie taken since for some the selfie is evidently not enough to preserve the memory of their presence before the totem pole while cultivating the hope that a group will not plunge into the hall between head and neck: in fact groups of up to twenty-five people are allowed to enter The point is that the organizers had some twenty textbook works convened in Rome and thought to thicken them in the ground-floor rooms of Palazzo Barberini Twice as much space would have been needed Or it would have been useful to dilute the succession to dissipate the clusters.The problem is that to fluidize the density of masterpieces would have necessitated the staging of an exhibition as was done for the fine exhibition on Urban VIII a couple of years ago also the monumental halls of the piano nobile: one struggles then to catch a glimpse of an exhibition for the simple fact that there is no exhibition a collection of works chosen according to selective parameters in order to illustrate an idea or give an account of a passage in art history a parade of icons (and some presence on which the critics are far from agreeing) set up with the same logic with which sticker albums are composed: the juxtaposition of famous images should the triumphal parade also fit the definition of “exhibition,” then Caravaggio 2025 can be said to be one of the most successful exhibitions of recent years with a selection largely superimposable on that of the Palazzo Barberini exhibition: there was the St from the Portrait of a Knight of Malta to the Martyrdom of St Previously there was the Scuderie del Quirinale exhibition in 2010 and even earlier the one on the “last time,” or Caravaggio from 1606 to 1610 organized in 2004 at the Museo Nazionale di Capodimonte in Naples The main difference from the most numerically substantial of the recent exhibitions lies in the fact that fifteen years ago there were only autograph works: this year despite the announcements on the eve (again in the aforementioned interview Cappelletti asserted that we would see “a Caravaggio in massive doses and in its pure state,” “neither pupils nor followers in the exhibition and wanting to exclude theEcce Homo on which we do not feel we can consider the game closed there are at least three spurious presences the Mondafrutto and the Portrait of Maffeo Barberini placed next to the homologous portrait exhibited for the first time to the public a few weeks ago inevitably loses strength to the point of generating the well-founded doubt that it could be expunged from the Caravaggio catalog although Palazzo Barberini continued to display the work under the name of Caravaggio a solution typically adopted when the scientific debate has not yet reached a solution but the visitor is wanted to be told that the name suggested by the museum finds a certain consensus anyway the Narcissus appears instead as “attributed to Caravaggio,” without compiled by an uncredited “MDM” among the authors of the cards (one assumes it is Michele Di Monte adding anything new in favor of a possible Caravaggesque authorship (indeed: the card closes with a summary of Gianni Papi’s proposal on Spadarino) is instead presented as a sure autograph: it is certainly the best of the known versions but it is much weaker than the works in the exhibition that stand next to it and the card glosses over possible new arguments in favor of an authorship even if one really wants to consider the Mondafrutto an autograph since it is considered to be a contemporary work to the Sick Bacchus that is exhibited next to it and that appears to be of noisily higher quality: the coeval dating seems to be a consequence of the fact that the exhibition finally incorporates the new features introduced by the exhibition Caravaggio in Rome on the postponement of Caravaggio’s arrival in Rome namely around 1595 and not 1592 as once believed is derubricated as a painting “attributed to Caravaggio,” and the possibility of seeing the other Maffeo Barberini next to him certainly does not speak in favor of the Florentine painting which have emerged and been discussed in recent years (roughly between the Dentro Caravaggio exhibition and the current one) that the exhibition either skims over or does not address: for example while touching on the subject of Caravaggio’s models (in Francesca Curti’s excellent essay Catherine from the Thyssen-Bornemisza in Madrid and the Judith and Holofernes from Palazzo Barberini for which the curatorship accepts a date of about 1599-1600 without therefore considering the possibility of tying it to a note of 1602 read by some scholars who have expressed the most up-to-date positions on this issue the Palermo Nativity is muted as a work that given the wide consensus that the dating to 1600 thus the only altarpiece painted by Caravaggio in a jubilee year should be part of the same group of paintings The implications of a recent discovery (perhaps precisely because of the freshness of the novelty) by Vincenzo Sorrentino which has also been echoed in the generalist press are not explored in depth: the discovery of a payment that would tie theAdoration of the Shepherds of Messina to a probable Neapolitan execution since the number of Caravaggio’s Neapolitan works would grow with all the consequences for local artists who may have seen theAdoration live and up close in Sicily today (although Giuseppe Porzio and Rossella Vodret in the catalog caution that Caravaggio may simply have executed the work in Sicily and been paid in Naples while talking about the work in the catalog On the documents found by Sorrentino a further passage is appropriate because this is a recent and important discovery: Indeed one deduces that Caravaggio had arrived in Naples well before October 1609 if one considers that he had worked before November 27 on an altarpiece such as theAdoration of the Shepherds and the date of the first document of Caravaggio’s second Neapolitan sojourn on at least one other painting for a hitherto unknown Genoese patron outside of a fleeting mention in a footnote of “Magdalene Gregori,” the painting which was recognized at a private Dutch collector in 2014 and which was the focus of an exhibition at the Musée Jacquemart-André in 2019 reopening the critical debate around a work that deserves to be explored in depth: it was one of the most interesting moments in recent Caravaggesque history among the works that perhaps need to be returned to one could also include the National Gallery of Ireland’s The Capture of Christ a painting with distinct Nordic accents (which would be a hapax in Caravaggio’s production) so much so that it previously figured attributed to Gerrit van Honthorst: Caravaggio 2025 has totally overlooked the discussion that arose following the recent exhibition first in the rooms of Palazzo Chigi in Ariccia and then at the Fondazione Banco di Napoli between 2023 and 2024 a circumstance that has rekindled the debate on autography among those who have pronounced in favor of the Calabrian specimen (Anna Coliva who even proposed reassigning the Dublin version to Van Honthorst) those who instead lean toward the Irish work (Alessandro Zuccari) and those who instead consider them both autographs (Francesco Petrucci with precedence given to the Ruffo version) It is therefore a pity that the exhibition despite having a lot of recent material on which to discuss and despite presenting itself as “a unique opportunity to rediscover Caravaggio’s art in a new key in an exhibition itinerary that integrates discoveries critical reflections and a close comparison between his masterpieces,” ends up being at least lukewarm in terms of scientific innovations which do not seem to be at the center of the exhibition Instead of the exhibition centered on novelties with a few pieces perhaps combined with a few comparative works preference was basically given to the solemn manifestation almost all of which is marked by biographical descriptions included in the 18 euros one has to pay to see the exhibition (which becomes 25 if one also wants to see the museum) does not add much more than the captions in the room: a few notes mostly of a historical or iconographic nature we fight against any lunge on pure image values And the works are the relics of the cult of Caravaggio: in the ground-floor rooms of the Palazzo Barberini we are content to reverence them in the midst of the fray to contemplate them only to be sucked into the whirlpool of other worshippers to adore them as they float on a light that flattens them and makes them look like backlit displays It is then taken for granted that the public will go looking for Caravaggio in the churches and museums of Rome on their own since neither the audio guide nor the panels on site suggest routes into the city either to see Caravaggio or to delve into the context of the early seventeenth century that Rome’s churches have not provided for extensions of their often cramped or prohibitively long hours for the exhibition (Santa Maria del Popolo and the exhibition is certainly worth a visit One cannot refrain from expressing gratitude to the curators for gathering in Rome works that would otherwise not be easily accessible at a time in history when loans of such magnitude are becoming increasingly rare and complicated: the chance to see gathered together some 20 paintings by Caravaggio and the visit is therefore to be encouraged the Buona ventura from the Pinacoteca Capitolina and the Bari from Fort Worth: after all it is more convenient to go to Rome than to Texas to see the masterpiece that Cardinal Del Monte bought from the workshop of the junk dealer Costantino Spada and effectively introduced him to Caravaggio It is fascinating to see Ottavio Costa’s paintings all together again eight years later: the Palazzo Barberini’s Judith thus reunites with the St a Genoese convergence that it would have been nice to see explored precisely in the light of the common commission perhaps even keeping in mind the beautiful Albenga copy that is central to understanding the relationship between Caravaggio and the wealthy Ligurian banker whether one wants to believe the autography or not of the Supper at Emmaus from the Pinacoteca di Brera And worth the trip would be only the Conversion from the Odescalchi collection the first version of the homologous painting in the Cerasi Chapel a painting that is difficult to access and that even scholars struggle to see and the Saint Catherine from the Thyssen-Bornemisza: it is illuminated by too strong a light but one reasons that the Madrid museum hardly lends it and so one is seduced by that canvas that was among Cardinal Del Monte’s favorites It may be that in the end considerations about the exhibition’s shortcomings give way under the strength of the works It may be that we tend to forget the fact that seems almost to be the result of a celestial genius That on some of the paintings the consensus is far from unanimous So in the end we allow ourselves to be enchanted by the paintings At least as long as we are allowed by other visitors who gasp press and push for their share of sacred illumination Exploring Malta through the brushstrokes of Caravaggio’s 1608 portrait of Grand Master Alof de Wignacourt (Alamy) Caravaggio’s painting The Beheading of St John the Baptist secured his initiation into the Knights of the Order of St John (Alamy) Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio (1571–1610 AD) one of the most influential painters in the history of Western art He hid his name in a splash of blood in a work that hangs in the oratory of St John’s Co-Cathedral in the heart of Malta’s UNESCO-listed capital The vast Beheading of St John the Baptist – a striking revolutionary painting – still dominates the room for which it was created which now receives nearly half a million visitors a year It is at the centre of the story of Caravaggio’s time on this island which was a “pivotal” period in his life and work whose held an exhibition on the artist in early 2024 all played out across Malta’s most important historic buildings I started my quest for Caravaggio where he began his time in Malta on the sparkling waters of the Grand Harbour still flanked as they were then by the honeyed limestone fortifications of the Knights of the Order of St John Hospitaller This harbour has been at the heart of Maltese history since the Phoenicians Anyone trading or invading in the Mediterranean has at some point coveted this safe haven and down the years it has caught the eyes of Romans it had only been a handful of decades since the harbour had been thick with the blood and cannon smoke of the Great Siege of 1565 in which the outnumbered Knights nearly lost Malta to the Ottoman Turks The Order of St John’s response was to construct a brand-new impregnable peninsula capital an elegant but austere citadel city that was ‘built by gentlemen for gentlemen’ was not a gentleman – not by birth or behaviour he was on the run after killing a man in a brawl in Rome awed by his art and willing to overlook his dissolute lifestyle and the Knights’ Grand Master was in search of a top-quality painter to work for the Order in Malta So Caravaggio boarded one of the galleys bound for Valletta The citadel of Valletta was founded in 1566 (Alamy) I chose to tour the Grand Harbour by dgħajsa water taxi though nowadays assisted by an outboard motor guardian of the harbour mouth on the Valletta side and on the opposite bank I spied Fort St Angelo the Knights’ first base in Malta and a key player in Caravaggio’s story we landed at what is now Customs House Wharf an area that was known in the 1600s simply as The Marina professor of art history at the University of Malta and a world expert on Caravaggio’s time here that the artist would have walked steeply uphill through Salvatore Gate (since renamed Victoria Gate) From there he would have slipped into the narrow streets of Valletta some of which are still little more than stone stairways I cheated by taking the Barrakka Lift – not out of laziness (it isn’t far) but to enjoy the glass-sided 58m ride up the exterior of Valletta’s towering fortifications to the bastion-top where the Upper Barrakka Gardens reveal breathtaking views over the Grand Harbour where Caravaggio’s painting of St John’s beheading hangs (Juliet Rix) likely crossed town to the home of Ippolito Malaspina a senior knight and veteran of the Great Siege He had close connections to the artists’ influential Italian patrons and he was probably instrumental in bringing Caravaggio to Malta History shows he gave him one of his first commissions on the island which is now displayed alongside The Beheading of St John the Baptist in the Co-Cathedral with Malaspina’s coat of arms clearly visible in the bottom right-hand corner Some say that St Jerome is a portrait of Malaspina Certainly this is a very human-looking saint The picture first hung in Malaspina’s home passing to the Italian wing of the Knights when he died two men stole the painting from the Co-Cathedral museum by putting up a fake ‘work in progress’ sign calmly cutting it from its frame before rolling it up and throwing it out of a window after delicate negotiations with the thieves Malta’s Grand Harbour might be filled with yachts today but back in 1565 this was the site of one of history’s bloodiest sieges as 40,000 Ottomans penned in the 700 Knights of the Order of St John and 8,000 regular troops (Shutterstock) I followed in Caravaggio’s footsteps along Malaspina’s street It is now mostly made up of flats with brightly coloured doors yet is still scattered with the painted wooden balconies (called gallariji) that became popular here from the late 1600s on I looked out across the waters of Marsamxett Harbour to Manoel Island and its recently restored fort and lazaretto (plague quarantine centre) and beyond to the glass and steel of modern Sliema – a far cry from the barren rocky garigue that Malaspina and Caravaggio would have seen despite the 17th-century craze for Baroque embellishment that added fancy porticoes curlicues and columns to many of the city’s plain facades This is the only private 16th-century palazzo in town that is routinely open to the public Caravaggio may well have been entertained here to mark the completion of an aqueduct carrying water from Dingli and Rabat to Valletta Grand Master Adolf de Wignacourt commissioned a fountain topped with a statue of Neptune that is said to resemble himself (JJ Chricop Photography) Caravaggio was changing the course of art history a pleasant gathering place dominated by the Grand Master’s Palace I wasn’t able to go inside on this occasion because it was closed for refurbishment (though it has since reopened to the public; see p29) Having been home to the rulers of the islands from the 1570s on throughout the British era (1800–1964) and for fifty years of independence it was vacated by the nation’s MPs in 2015 when they moved to their new purpose-built parliament (designed by Renzo Piano allowing the palace to be restored to its historic glory and recalled the statue of Neptune that stands in the courtyard Many believe its face is that of Alof de Wignacourt the powerful Grand Master whom Caravaggio came here to visit – and to paint His striking portrait of Wignacourt in full armour along with the Grand Master’s battle suit and stunning dress armour The Grand Master was Caravaggio’s meal ticket and it was he who petitioned the pope for special dispensation to allow a murderer to join the Knights perhaps happy to keep this troublesome but talented artist safely away from Rome and Caravaggio became an unlikely novice of the Order of St John Recruits to the Knights – most of whom were the ‘spare’ sons of Europe’s aristocracy – were expected to pay a substantial fee upon joining he was commissioned to create a huge painting of the death of the Knights’ patron saint for the newly constructed oratory which functioned as a combination courthouse The exterior of St John’s Co-Cathedral remains more or less the simple unadorned building it was back when it was built in the 1570s I was assailed by an explosion of dazzling Baroque embellishment in bright paint coloured marble and sparkling 24-carat gold Gazing up at the barrel-vaulted ceiling depicting the life of St John in colourful oils (by Italian artist Mattia Preti) and across to the golden carvings crowding every arch and buttress then down at some of the 400 inlaid marble tombstones beneath my feet I had to remind myself that none of this was here in Caravaggio’s day These were only added from the 1660s on; before then the church was almost as spartan inside as out in front of Caravaggio’s The Beheading of St John the Baptist looking only at the painting (5.2m by 3.7m) For an early 17th-century representation of biblical martyrdom it is utterly atypical: no angels bear the saint to heaven John lies with his bloodless face to the ground while a gaoler points at the plate held by Salome (or a servant girl; her identity is disputed) awaiting the head promised her by King Herod while in the background a couple of prisoners watch through a grilled window given the viewer is carefully positioned in the space opposite them Valletta’s colourful gallariji (enclosed balconies) echo the Arabic-style mashrabiya and were designed to catch and trap cooling breezes (Alamy) It was a reminder to the novices who sat in contemplation before it what martyrdom (to which they were signing up as ‘holy warriors’) might actually look like Caravaggio punches the message home by placing the scene not in some mythical landscape but amid the contemporary architecture of Valletta still recognisable in the streets I’d just passed through The painting must have had an added poignancy for the artist Caravaggio had fled Rome with a bounty on his head – literally A reward was payable to anyone in the Papal States delivering his severed head Perhaps this was why he signed his name in the Baptist’s blood it’s telling that he makes a point of writing ‘f’ perhaps in recognition that he had finally become a Knight of the Order of St John on 14 July 1608 in a ceremony held in front of his own painting Fort St Angelo on Birgu predates even the Knights’ arrival on the island (Alamy) “It was incredibly prestigious to be a knight,” explained Whitlum-Cooper “but he couldn’t hold it together.” The following month Caravaggio got into a fight at the home of an organist The artist was arrested and imprisoned in Fort St Angelo the sturdy citadel on the other side of the Grand Harbour that had withstood the might of the besieging Ottoman army I took a water taxi over to Birgu (Vittoriosa) which is still a traditional area of narrow medieval streets filled with glimpses of the Knights’ legacy and waterside relics of Malta’s maritime history I landed next to the former British naval bakery where steam machinery once churned out nearly 1.4 tonnes of bread and biscuit daily to feed the Mediterranean fleet which is due to reopen in April following a long renovation I passed the Knights’ old treasury (now restaurants) and the fancy yachts of the modern marina The sand-coloured stone of the modern Parliament House helps it to blend in with the old battlements (Juliet Rix) St Angelo was already established by the 13th century as the base of the medieval Castellan who ruled Malta for his overlords in Sicily When the Knights arrived in 1530 (invited by the Holy Roman Emperor following their expulsion from Rhodes by the Ottoman Turks) they had little interest in the islands’ then-capital which still stands as a remarkable citadel of ancient palazzi convents and churches atop a high plateau in the middle of the main island The Knights needed to be near their galleys making Fort St Angelo their HQ until the post-siege move to Valletta the fort was a frequent target for air raids during the Second World War Nazi propaganda even once claimed to have sunk ‘HMS St Angelo’ The idea of this made me laugh as I climbed the long zig-zagging stone ramps between its thick defensive walls making my way up towards the Fort’s expansive cannon-fringed parade ground which afforded fabulous views back across the water to Valletta I stepped over the little grill in the ground that tour guides will frequently tell you marks the site of Caravaggio’s cell “It doesn’t,” remarked Sciberras categorically He would have been treated better than that.” on gazing down the long vertical drop to the tiny figures fishing from the harbourside rocks below it was clear to me that Caravaggio must have had help when the artist resumed his career and found no lack of patrons eager for a slice of his talent Among the surviving paintings from this period is the London National Gallery’s Salome Receives the Head of John the Baptist it has the echoes of a sequel to his Maltese work The executioner places the Baptist’s head on a platter held by Salome whose pose echoes that of the man who had wielded the knife while a distressed older woman looks down at the same angle as the severed head of the saint The saluting battery in the Upper Barrakka Gardens is traditionally fired every day There is a suggestion that Caravaggio sent a similar scene from Italy to the Grand Master in Malta We know only that the Knights did not pursue the artist any further another ceremony was held in front of Caravaggio’s The Beheading of St John the Baptist divesting the artist of his knighthood and in the words of a document that recorded the events at the time severing him from the order ‘like a fetid limb’ Violence and Caravaggio were never long apart and in 1609 he was attacked outside a Naples tavern and severely injured he painted The Martyrdom of St Ursula in the spring of 1610 Having delivered it to his aristocratic commissioner thus turning St Ursula into ‘The Last Caravaggio’ and making the Maltese paintings some of his final masterpieces I couldn’t leave Valletta without one more visit to the Co-Cathedral With a nod to the graves of Wignacourt and Malaspina in the presence not only of one of the most powerful paintings in European art but on the spot where once the artist himself – the disturbed and disturbing genius Caravaggio – stood and signed his name in blood The Baroque interior of the Co-Cathedral is at odds with its rather dowdy exterior (Juliet Rix) Summer is hot and dry; spring and autumn are warm and sunny cheaper for travellers and shorn of the crowds that can cluster Valletta – plus all the main sites remain open Multiple airlines, including British Airways, Air Malta, Easyjet and Ryanair fly from London and regional airports to Malta It is just a 9km drive from the airport to Valletta Buses are regular and inexpensive; Malta also has Uber Water taxis depart Customs House Wharf across the Grand Harbour A return flight from London to Malta produces 360kg of carbon per passenger. Wanderlust encourages you to offset your travel footprint through a reputable provider. Find out more here Tathra Hotel is a traditional country house with ocean views and an in-house bistro. Jaguar Stay is a collection of six luxury villas complete with private plunge pools set on a riverfront farm in Mogo It also provides guests with kayaks and bikes for exploring the area Art as Life: Caravaggio in Malta (Midsea Books 2023) by Prof Keith Sciberras – The professor’s definitive new book has just been published Victoria Gate is the only fortified gate that has survived from the original citadel (Alamy) ★★★★★Prepare to get up close and personal with a god’s private parts Rome’s Villa Aurora — “certainly there is nothing better … and perhaps nothing so beautiful” declared Henry James — has opened its doors to the public for the next three months Make the most of this precious opportunity But among the many artistic treasures it boasts is the only known mural by that most dramatically inventive notoriously scandalous of Italian baroque masters: Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio Neptune and Pluto on a ceiling in the villa at the behest of a powerful cardinal who Registered in England No. 894646. Registered office: 1 London Bridge Street, SE1 9GF. Wanted in RomeMagazine A rarely-seen painting by Italian Baroque genius Caravaggio goes on public display, for the first time at Rome's Palazzo Barberini gallery this weekend The painting is a portrait of Monsignor Maffeo Barberini, the future Pope Urban VIII who ruled the Catholic Church and the Papal States from 1623 until his death in 1644. The work, on display until 23 February, dates to the turn of the 17th century and is part of an exhibition curated by gallery director Thomas Clement Salomon and art historian Paola Nicita. which depicts the cleric and patron of the arts in his early 30s is believed to have been in the collection of the noble Barberini family for centuries before passing into private hands in the mid 1930s In 1963 the renowned art critic Roberto Longhi authenticated the painting as the work of Caravaggio who only completed a handful of portaits before his death, aged just 38, in 1610. "It is not a rediscovered painting, it has been known about since the 1960s, but since then it had only been seen by five or six specialists" - Nicita told news agency ANSA - "Not to mention that portraits of Caravaggio are extremely rare, some have been lost, others have never been traced". The painting portrays a seated Barberini wearing a biretta and cassock, clutching a folded letter in one hand and pointing with the other, as he glances to his right. The work makes strong use of chiaroscuro a technique employing dramatic use of light and shadow "It is the Caravaggio painting that everyone has wanted to see for years" - Salomon told ANSA - "It has never been exhibited Palazzo Barberini is home to three other other works by Caravaggio: St Francis in Meditation (1606-1607) and Judith Beheading Holofernes (1598-1599) which together with Palazzo Barberini houses Italy's national gallery of ancient art also has a Caravaggio work: John the Baptist (c For more details about Caravaggio's newly unveiled portrait, and visiting information, see Palazzo Barberini website Wanted in Rome ™ is member of the Wanted World Wide Ltd network.Click here to find out more about our Network or Follow us on social networks © 2025 / 2026 Wanted World Wide LTD Network Nicholas Cranfield sees the current exhibition at the Palazzo Barberini two Lombard painters travelled in the early 1590s from their native Milan southwards as both Mannerist artists seem to have been aware of the Venetian tradition of colour in design is rather less well known than Michelangelo Merisi (1571-1610) who is celebrated with 22 autograph works in the current exhibition in Rome (with a further two attributed) both came into the ambit of Giuseppe Cesari which excited enough jealousy for the pope to seize it in 1607 on trumped-up charges Caravaggio lodged with Cesari and was briefly his pupil painting the flower and fruit studies for which he had made his reputation in the North painted in the Blessed Sacrament chapel of San Nicola in Carcere but concentrated mainly on fresco painting; he decorated the exterior of the Palazzo Madama (now the Senate) and where it is likely that the latter’s paintings of The Cardsharps and The Gypsy Fortune-Teller first hung together Nappi was commissioned by Bishop Andrés Fernández de Córdoba to fresco the cloister at Santa Maria sopra Minerva Caravaggio’s cycle of three paintings of the life of St Matthew in the Contarelli chapel (1599-1600) excited he painted the Madonna dei Pellegrini for a memorial chapel in Sant’Agostino both Nappi and Merisi were members of the Rome Accademia di San Luca The Dominican cloister is well worth visiting; in comparison with Caravaggio’s works This could be Sodoma painting a century earlier for the Abbey of Monte Oliveto Maggiore but to accentuate his contemporary’s extraordinary achievement in the same environment one of the three curators of this exhibition recently showed the portrait of Mgr Maffeo Barberini (1568-1644) from a private collection by way of heralding this exhibition Known to scholars and widely reproduced since 1963 this brought to life one of Merisi’s early patrons The National Gallery expects to acquire it the young protonotary apostolic makes a commanding gesture with his right hand while Caravaggio delineates his graceful power that he would bring to the throne of St Peter Beside it is the other portrait from three years earlier (private collection despite the glass vase of flowers on the table it does catch the nervousness of the young promoted thanks only to family connections Maffeo never commissioned Caravaggio again It was left to the astute purchases by a later member of the family from the estate of Cardinal Francesco Maria del Monte when it went under the hammer to pay off creditors to bring in no fewer than seven paintings by Merisi The hang in four rooms is chronological and charts the meteoric career of a short-lived artist who was dead within 15 years of first entering Rome on the Via Flaminia The exhibition includes two church altarpieces the colourful first version (1600-01) of The Conversion of Saul intended for a chapel in Santa Maria del Popolo next to the Porta Flaminia (Odescalchi Collection and the magnificent Flagellation commissioned in 1607 for the Dominicans in Naples The Saul dominates the first room of early works where the Boy Peeling Fruit (Hampton Court Palace) and the Sick Bacchus in the Borghese family collection from 1607 as one of the Cavaliere d’Arpino’s confiscated treasures the detailed still-lifes of fruit suggest Christian symbolism The Flagellation hangs between the recently discovered Ecce Homo which turned up in a Spanish auction house in 2021 Violence is never far behind and is often to the fore in Caravaggio’s compositions Milan) has a darkening sense of foreboding It is a sad reflection that so many works once in the Palazzo Barberini were sold off when a royal decree permitted the sale of the collection abroad the 1594 Saint Francis in Ecstasy (Hartford Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza) were all lost then Seeing these works in the palace where they had been housed for some three centuries is both a coup for the exhibition organisers and a treat for the visitors It is also a cheerless reminder of the risks occasioned by hasty de-accessioning the choice from which Costa left in his 1606 will to the Abbot Ruggero Tritonio Costa also had commissioned the Judith and Holofernes that was acquired for the permanent collection here only in 1971 and an identical version of the story of Judith’s revenge has been recently found in Toulouse To see the three brought together offers a chance to reflect on religious sensibility at the end of the 16th century Each of the works is sensuous and would never have served as altarpieces in post-Tridentine Italy whether for the unblemished beauty of the Israelite heroine as she commits homicide for the vulnerable young saint reeling backwards under the intent care of an angel The face of the Magdalen shows some of the qualities that Merisi brought to portraiture the model might have been his Sienese girlfriend Although the exhibition makes the claim that he revolutionised this genre Private collections may still house others but even those reasonably accessible — that of Scipione Borghese in Montepulciano (Fondazione Musei Senesi Although he does not always accurately portray bodily forms there is something in the rhythm of the bodies and even their contortions which goes well beyond what Nappi ever attempted Look for a moment at the right-angled left forearm of the Baptist in the Wilderness burnished in light in sharp contrast to the shadows that make it impossible for us to see what he is thinking it makes a nonsense of his foreshortened left shoulder it establishes a verticality in the composition that would otherwise be routine She seems almost to play the sword of martyrdom as if plucking a string while the fingers of her left hand find notes in the neck of the instrument The sheer luxury of her dress swirling around her conceals her lower body while conveying a sense of her monumentality as a heroine of the Faith which seemingly won Merisi his commissions and a knighthood in that order as another bruiser and “bad boy” Nappi had a rather less adventurous life and died in Rome about 1638.“Caravaggio 2025” runs at the Gallerie Nazionali The entrance to the cloister of the ex-monastery of Santa Maria sopra Minerva is at Piazza della Minerva 42 The Palazzo Barberini is closed on Mondays caravaggio2025.barberinicorsini.org/en/ Save money on books reviewed or featured in the Church Times > Click on the “Church Times Bookshop” link at the end of the review The reader discount is valid for two months after the review publication date run jointly by Sarum College and The Church Times tickets available This online seminar, run jointly by Modern Church and The Church Times discusses the theology underpinning the drive for growth tickets available We are a partnership of six diverse and welcoming congregations in the northern districts of Milton Keynes offering a rich tapestry of worshipping traditions – Anglican USPG is looking to appoint 3 Trustees (lay or ordained) committed to global mission within the Anglican Communion The Diocese of Gloucester is looking for a practical team member to join the Department of Mission and Ministry who brings a creative and flexible approach as we seek to develop and implement innovative approaches to collaborative ministry across the Diocese The Bishop of Lincoln seeks an ordained colleague to lead in vocational discernment within the Diocese The Diocese of London is delighted to welcome applications for the position of Area Director of Ministry (Willesden) and Diocesan Clergy Wellbeing Adviser Read reports from issues stretching back to 1863 search for your parish or see if any of the clergy you know get a mention Explore the archive Non-subscribers can read four articles for free each month The TimesA Rome mansion boasting the world’s only Caravaggio ceiling mural could become a permanent museum after the end of a bitter legal battle sources close to the noble family have confirmed which was set to be bought by a billionaire in 2022 when a judge sent it to auction with a target price of €471 million The sale was ordered to resolve an ownership dispute between the Texan widow of the property’s late owner and his three sons from a previous marriage who has been embroiled in a row over the property with her stepsonsREMO CASILLI/REUTERSThe battle took an ugly turn when the widow Princess Rita Boncompagni Ludovisi — a former TV journalist and New York estate agent who once Caravaggio takes center stage in Rome once again, at Palazzo Barberini with an exhibition that offers a remarkable journey through his art It presents a unique opportunity to admire not only his most famous masterpieces but also rarely seen paintings and some of his latest discoveries Michelangelo Merisi’s art marked a true revolution not only in painting but across the entire cultural and social landscape of his time the exhibition invites us to reflect on the changes Caravaggio introduced to art creating a new way of seeing and representing reality had a massive impact on the art of his time The exhibition is divided into four sections each exploring a different chapter of his career Thanks to previously unseen works and rare discoveries visitors will get a glimpse of how Caravaggio revolutionized the artistic scene creating pieces that still captivate with their emotional intensity and raw realism A particularly significant moment in the exhibition is the Portrait of Maffeo Barberini which is being displayed for the first time after more than sixty years since its rediscovery This painting will be displayed alongside masterpieces such as Ecce Homo which returns to Italy after centuries of absence works like Martha and Mary Magdalene and Saint Francis in Ecstasy enrich the selection of Caravaggio’s masterpieces many of which have never been exhibited together before The exhibition is organized into four thematic sections that cover a period of about fifteen years in Caravaggio’s life from his arrival in Rome in 1595 to his death in 1610 Each section explores a different aspect of his career highlighting moments of artistic innovation and his most significant works takes us back to the early years of Caravaggio in Rome Caravaggio faced the challenges of a precarious life surviving on odd jobs and painting for little money It was during this time that he began experimenting with the representation of reality an approach that would become the hallmark of his art Works like Mondafrutto and The Sick Bacchus testify to this period of experimentation where Caravaggio developed a style that challenged the conventions of the time through his encounter with the banker Francesco Maria del Monte Caravaggio secured his first major commission and began to make a name for himself in the Roman art world This section also features his first major sacred work: Saint Francis in Ecstasy delves into the lesser-known aspect of Caravaggio’s work: his portraiture While Caravaggio is primarily known for his sacred and mythological scenes The exhibition offers a unique opportunity to see two versions of the Portrait of Maffeo Barberini which showcase Caravaggio’s talent for capturing the raw truth of his subjects such as that of Saint Catherine of Alexandria and full-length paintings like Judith Decapitating Holofernes immerses us in the more mature period of Caravaggio’s career when his art became increasingly intense and dramatic we find some of his most famous religious works such as the series for the Contarelli Chapel where Caravaggio addresses life and death with unprecedented force The section also includes works created during his time in Naples where Caravaggio expresses all of his dramatic flair the section Endgame focuses on Caravaggio’s last years the artist spent the final years of his life in Naples desperately seeking forgiveness for his crimes and hoping to return to the capital such as The Martyrdom of Saint Ursula and Saint John the Baptist Caravaggio expresses his inner struggle and need for atonement This exhibition is an unmissable opportunity to explore Caravaggio’s art in all its complexity With loans from world-renowned museums like the Prado Museum the exhibition provides an immersive experience that allows visitors to explore the evolution of the artist and his lasting impact on art history which will be visible for this special occasion The exhibition celebrates the greatness of Caravaggio and invites us to reflect on his innovative spirit and his contribution to art offering a new lens through which to understand his genius and his unparalleled impact on painting and culture of his time This is an experience that promises to leave an indelible mark on the hearts of art lovers from around the world has made significant contributions to the art and culture sectors with his innovative approach and visionary projects He is celebrated for producing the groundbreaking "Rigoletto Story" in 2002 which transformed opera into a global spectacle thanks to collaborations with fashion icon Vivienne Westwood marking a pivotal moment in artistic production His work extends beyond opera; Pietroni played a key role in the Westwood retrospectives and the innovative #missionemonnalisa campaign demonstrating his skill in fusing art with modern communication channels Pietroni co-founded Music for Change with Grammy Award-winning artist Ruben Dario Salas This initiative aims to harness the power of music and the arts to drive innovation within the film industry illustrating Pietroni's dedication to cultural advancement As the visionary behind "The Art Insider," Pietroni continues to influence the cultural dialogue earning international recognition for his creative and pioneering efforts across various artistic mediums Women in Art: Muse, Symbol, and Timeless Message Artist Jo Messer Found involved In 2021 Theft Of Elvis Sculpture A portrait by the Baroque master Caravaggio held in a private collection for over 60 years went on display to the public for the first time at the gallery – part of the National Gallery of Ancient Art – in Rome on Saturday (23 November) the portrait depicts Monsignor Maffeo Barberini who would later become Pope Urban VIII in the 17th century commissioning works from the likes of sculptor and architect Gian Lorenzo Bernini It is showcased as part of an exhibition curated by gallery director Thomas Clement Salomon and art historian Paola Nicita and is thought to have been part of the Barberini family's collection for centuries before it passed into private ownership in the mid-1930s the technique of using light and shadow to bring his subjects to life le Gallerie Nazionali di Arte Antica ospitano un evento straordinario: nella Sala Paesaggi di Palazzo Barberini sarà esposto il “Ritratto di monsignor Maffeo Barberini” un dipinto di Caravaggio proveniente da una collezione privata e mai precedentemente mostrato al pubblico Si tratta di un prestito storico di grande valore.L'opera presentata per la prima volta da Roberto Longhi nell'articolo Il vero "Maffeo Barberini" del Caravaggio pubblicato nel 1963 sulla rivista Paragone è stata indicata dallo studioso come un elemento fondamentale per comprendere la ritrattistica di Caravaggio.Questo prestito eccezionale rappresenta un'occasione irripetibile per il pubblico e per gli esperti del settore di ammirare un'opera mai esposta prima che continua a far parte della collezione privata a cui appartiene da decenni Il ritratto svelatoa cura di Thomas Clement Salomon e Paola Nicita 23 novembre 2024 – 23 febbraio 2025-The Gallerie Nazionali di Arte Antica host an extraordinary event from today to February 23 2025: the “Portrait of Monsignor Maffeo Barberini” a painting by Caravaggio from a private collection that has never previously been on display to the public will be exhibited in the Sala Paesaggi of Palazzo Barberini This is a historical loan of the utmost value first presented by Roberto Longhi in his article Il vero ‘Maffeo Barberini’ di Caravaggio published in 1963 in the journal Paragone was referred to by this leading scholar as a fundamental key to understanding Caravaggio's portrait painting.This exceptional loan offers a unique opportunity for the public and experts to admire a work that has never previously been exhibited and is still part of the private collection it has belonged to for decades.Caravaggio The portrait unveiledcurated by Thomas Clement Salomon and Paola Nicita November 23 but since then it had only been seen by five or six specialists,” Nicita told Italian news agency ANSA "Not to mention that portraits of Caravaggio are extremely rare Caravaggio. The Portrait Unveiledruns at the National Gallery of Ancient Art in Rome until 23 February 2025 An exhibition hailed as among the most important and ambitious showcases ever of Caravaggio's work is being held in Rome to coincide with the Vatican's Jubilee Year Organisers say the exhibition at Palazzo Barberini comprises an "exceptional number" of paintings by the Baroque master whose full name was Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio The 24 exhibited works include loans from prestigious national and international collections as well as two rediscovered masterpieces on display for the first time together along with some new discoveries Organised especially for the 2025 Jubilee Year the exhibition illustrates how Caravaggio (1571-1610) shaped the artistic The show includes Caravaggio's most celebrated works and highlights "the power and modernity" of his art according to exhibition curators Francesca Cappelletti Speaking at packed press preview on Thursday Clement Salomon said the exhibition represents a "dream" for him and noted that a staggering 60,000 tickets had been snapped up before the show had even opened The exhibited paintings include the Portrait of Maffeo Barberini, recently put on public display more than 60 years after its rediscovery, as well as loans from outside Italy including Ecce Homo, rediscovered in 2021 and returning to Italy for the first time in four centuries. Michelangelo Merisi known as Caravaggio Other loans from abroad include Saint Catherine of Alexandria; Martha and Mary Magdalene; and The Taking of Christ The exhibition also reunites three works commissioned by the banker and patron of the arts Ottavio Costa: Judith and Holofernes from Palazzo Barberini alongside two paintings on loan: Saint John the Baptist in the Wilderness and Saint Francis of Assisi in Ecstasy In addition to the 24 works on display at Palazzo Barberini, exhibition organisers will offer the chance to visit a 25th Caravaggio work at the Casino di Villa Boncompagni Ludovisi (also known as Villa Aurora) - home of Caravaggio's only ceiling painting. Caravaggio (Michelangelo Merisi) I Bari the show is arranged into sections exploring various aspects of the artist’s career emotional depth and dramatic use of chiaroscuro exhibition organisers have extended the opening hours until 22.00 on Thursday For exhibition details, including ticket information, see Palazzo Barberini website. Born Michelangelo Merisi in Milan in 1571, not much is known about Caravaggio's youth. In 1584 his mother sent him to the workshop of Simone Peterzano, a late-Mannerist painter and student of Tiziano. There are no traces of the young painter again until 1595, when he is thought to have reached Rome. After his first, difficult months in the city, when he scraped by selling paintings for a pittance, Caravaggio entered into a brief but important collaboration with well-known artist Giuseppe Cesari, known as Cavalier d’Arpino. During this time he established contact with his first important patron, Cardinal Francesco Maria Del Monte. Caravaggio soon became one of the most sought-after painters in Rome and his fame was sealed when he landed two prestigious public commissions for the Contarelli chapel in the church of San Luigi dei Francesi and the Cerasi chapel in the church of Santa Maria del Popolo he killed Ranuccio Tomassoni and immediately fled from Rome stopping in Naples before eventually arriving in Malta in 1607 Here he was accepted into the order of the Knights of Malta as part of a plan to obtain a pardon from Pope Paul V Borghese However his volatile temper soon got the better of him again and he was thrown in prison after getting into a fight Caravaggio headed first to Sicily and then to Naples where he arrived in 1609 probably after learning that the pope had granted him a pardon Caravaggio set off on his final, ill-fated journey to Rome He never made it back to the Eternal City however, and died in Porto Ercole in mysterious circumstances Cover image: Caravaggio (Michelangelo Merisi) Judith Beheading Holofernes (c.1599-1600) Wanted in Rome ™ is member of the Wanted World Wide Ltd network.Click here to find out more about our Network or Follow us on social networks. © 2025 / 2026 Wanted World Wide LTD Network. All Rights Reserved. Made with Kraken PMS. Published: Nov 28, 2024written by Emily Snow An early 17th-century portrait by the Italian Baroque artist Caravaggio is now on public display for the first time A new exhibition at the Palazzo Barberini in Rome unveils the forgotten painting which was hidden away for centuries before its re-emergence in the 1960s The Caravaggio portrait will be on display through February 23 The newly unveiled Caravaggio portrait dates back to the early 1600s the son of a Florentine nobleman who later became Pope Urban VIII in 1623 Barberini wears a black biretta and green cassock He holds a folded letter in one hand and gazes intently off to the side The Caravaggio portrait was unknown until the 20th century at which time it was finally attributed to the Italian Baroque painter the painting had never been seen by the public until its first-ever exhibition opened this month in Rome “It is not a rediscovered painting,” explained art historian and exhibition co-curator Paola Nicita to ANSA but since then it has only been seen by five or six specialists Not to mention that portraits of Caravaggio are extremely rare; some have been lost and others have never been traced.” Gallery director and exhibition co-curator Thomas Clement Salomon said “It is the Caravaggio painting that everyone has wanted to see for years… This work is fundamental because you can count the number of portraits by Caravaggio on the fingers of one hand.” The forgotten Caravaggio painting was discovered by leading Italian art historian Roberto Longhi the Caravaggio portrait appeared in Rome in the 20th century without any documentation He concluded that the painting had been kept in the Barberini family’s art collection for centuries It finally ended up in a private collection in the 1930s after the Barberini estate was dispersed around the time Longhi attributed it to the famous Italian Baroque artist Several other experts on Caravaggio and 17th-century painting have since confirmed Longhi’s attribution Clement Salomon also noted that there is documentary evidence from the 17th century indicating that Caravaggio was commissioned to paint Barberini’s portrait as well as more recent diagnostic analyses that support Longhi’s claims about the painting’s provenance “beyond any doubt.” He added Following a particularly nasty brawl during which his opponent was killed following some travels around Italy and a few more bouts of erratic behavior Emily is an art historian and writer based in the high desert of her native Utah In addition to writing about her favorite art historical topics she covers daily art and archaeology news and hosts expert interviews for TheCollector She holds an MA in art history from the Courtauld Institute of Art with an emphasis in Aesthetic Movement art and science The dimly lit stage at the Kiran Nadar Museum of Art (KNMA) in Saket came alive on Monday evening as performance artists from the Italian theatre group Teatri 35 recreated the dramatic energy of Caravaggio’s paintings using the tableau vivant technique — a French phrase meaning “living picture” that merges theatrical performance with fine art A scene from the performance on Monday (Sanjeev Verma/HT Photo) Presented as a prelude to KNMA’s upcoming exhibition on Caravaggio the performance titled Tableaux Vivants Per Grazia Ricevuta offered a mesmerising display of silence which opens on April 18 and runs through May 18 will feature the Italian master’s most celebrated work — 'Magdalene in Ecstasy' assembling themselves into carefully crafted poses that mirrored Caravaggio’s masterpieces — momentary stillness transforming human forms into sculptural compositions Each composition dissolved almost as soon as it was formed “Reaching the final image is not the goal,” the theatre group said in a statement The actor’s body becomes a tool — as functional as a basket or a piece of fabric — with gestures that are deliberate is the product of years of experimentation and exploration in which the actor’s body is central was a providential encounter — a way to recover theatricality The tableau vivant technique is a centuries-old performance tradition in which actors pose motionlessly to re-create well-known paintings Caravaggio’s emotionally charged works were translated into live has worked together for over 20 years in the realm of experimental theatre combining classical music with historic visual art traditions to create a contemporary reinterpretation of iconic imagery “The company’s stylistic approach brings together music and an ancient performative art — tableaux vivants — to form a new kind of dynamic representation,” the organiser explained “Each piece begins with a long phase of listening is essential to achieving the right atmosphere and timing.” Among the Caravaggio works brought to life on stage were Canestro di Frutta (Fruit Basket) Decollazione del Battista (Beheading of the Baptist) San Matteo e l’Angelo (Saint Matthew and the Angel) and Resurrezione di Lazzaro (Resurrection of Lazarus) each staged with remarkable attention to composition and gesture The performances invited the audience to not only witness art but inhabit it — to feel its stillness Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio (1571–1610) is celebrated for his revolutionary use of light and shadow and his raw emotive depictions of religious and mythological scenes His influence remains profound across visual arts is part of a larger showcase dedicated to Caravaggio’s enduring legacy the museum will host documentary screenings and offer a virtual reality experience designed to immerse visitors in the artist’s world “This exhibition is not just about viewing art,” a KNMA official said “It’s about experiencing it — intellectually And tonight’s performance beautifully sets the tone for what’s to come.” Florence is preparing to host Caravaggio and the Twentieth Century will transform Villa Bardini into a crossroads of art history Curated by Cristina Acidini and Claudio Paolini the exhibition is promoted by the Fondazione CR Firenze in collaboration with the Longhi Foundation.The exhibition is meant to be a journey through the lives of Roberto Longhi and Anna Banti a couple who left an indelible mark on 20th-century culture rediscovered Caravaggio and the masters of seventeenth-century Italy Together they animated a coterie of intellectuals that shaped the Italian and international cultural landscape The exhibition occupies all the spaces of Villa Bardini: the exhibition itinerary unfolds in 12 rooms dense with rare and often unpublished materials Highlights include masterpieces such as Caravaggio’s Ragazzo morso da un ramarro (Boy Bitten by a Lizard ) Jusepe de Ribera ’s Apostles and a precious sequence of 10 works by Giorgio Morandi But the exhibition is not limited to paintings which tell the story of the couple’s network of friendships and influences Longhi and Banti dialogued with personalities such as Ungaretti while among the artists who frequented their home the names of de Pisis In the spaces of Villa Bardini one breathes the atmosphere in which Longhi revolutionized art history dedicated a memorable exhibition to Caravaggio at Milan’s Palazzo Reale bringing the 17th-century painter back into the spotlight after centuries of oblivion The success was enormous: more than 400,000 visitors rediscovered the greatness of the Lombard master paving the way for his consecration as an icon of universal painting Anna Banti devoted her efforts to literature and art popularization giving back a voice to women excluded from art history Her book "Artemisia," inspired by the painter Artemisia Gentileschi remains to this day an indispensable reference for the rediscovery of women artists of the past Longhi and Banti were not only scholars but also passionate popularizers Their mission was to take art beyond academic circles The exhibition offers a concrete example of this through two period documentaries in which Longhi recounts the greatness of Carpaccio and Carrà testifying to his extraordinary talent for communication a space dedicated to reflection and resting the mind Villa Bardini offers the opportunity to stroll through its historic park embellished with centuries-old trees and the famous monumental wisteria Its spectacular spring bloom attracts thousands of visitors every year The exhibition is also a tribute to the legacy of the Roberto Longhi Foundation which is based in Florence’s splendid Villa Il Tasso Whole generations of art historians have been trained here keeping the great scholar’s method and critical approach alive The exhibition is open Tuesday through Sunday while reduced tickets are available at 5 euros for groups Unicoop and for visitors to the Boboli-Bardini Gardens Admission is free for children up to 17 years old people with disabilities and accompanying persons the visit is free with mandatory reservation at call center 055 2989816 “Portrait of Monsignor Maffeo Barberini” by Caravaggio c. 1599-1604. (Photo: Fabrizio Garrisi via Wikimedia Commons, CC0) Michelangelo Merisi, better known as Caravaggio, has had a profound impact upon Baroque art Throughout his short yet storied life (he died in 1610 at the age of 38) he produced some of art history’s most vivid paintings each demonstrating a masterful command over light This fact is what makes the first-ever display of his portrait of Maffeo Barberini so incredible Barberini peers steadfastly toward the painting’s left side and dons a black biretta and a sleeveless green cassock His left hand clutches a letter while his right hand is outstretched a lone finger pointing in the same direction as his gaze Portrait of Monsignor Maffeo Barberini has been in a privately owned collection in Florence for decades It’s also been unavailable to scholars for study and hasn’t been featured in any Caravaggio exhibitions “This is the portrait by Caravaggio that everyone wanted to see for decades,” Thomas Clement Salomon, the director of Gallerie Nazionali Barberini Corsini in Rome, told The New York Times and they all said it was impossible.” Luckily, Salomon’s persistence eventually paid off: the portrait’s anonymous owner agreed to lend the artwork to the museum. Now, Caravaggio: The Portrait Unveiled is the first exhibition to ever showcase the rare portrait “This work is fundamental because you can count the number of portraits by Caravaggio on the fingers of one hand,” Salomon told The Art Newspaper The painting was originally attributed to Caravaggio in 1963 by the art historian Roberto Longhi providing critical insight into the artist’s output within and relationship to the portrait genre “This is a historical loan of the utmost value,” the exhibition text reads “[It] offers a unique opportunity for the public and experts to admire a work that has never previously been exhibited and is still part of the private collection it has belonged to for decades.” Museum officials are eager to persuade the owners to sell the painting in an effort to ensure its continued display “Our first dream was to put it on show and then it’s obvious that the idea to buy it is a dream,” says Salomon but it’s something we’ll work on A post shared by Barberini Corsini (@barberinicorsini) A post shared by Barberini Corsini (@barberinicorsini) “Portrait of Monsignor Maffeo Barberini” by Caravaggio c. 1599-1604, detail of face. (Photo: Fabrizio Garrisi via Wikimedia Commons, CC0 1.0) “Portrait of Monsignor Maffeo Barberini” by Caravaggio c. 1599-1604, detail of hand. (Photo: Fabrizio Garrisi via Wikimedia Commons, CC0 1.0) Gallerie Nazionali Barberini Corsini: Website | Instagram | Facebook Spain’s Prado Museum Rediscovers Lost Caravaggio Painting and Will Exhibit Soon World’s Only Caravaggio Mural Is Going on Auction for $547 Million 8 Caravaggio Paintings That Broke All the Rules (and Where to See Them) Want to advertise with us? Visit My Modern Met Media Celebrating creativity and promoting a positive culture by spotlighting the best sides of humanity—from the lighthearted and fun to the thought-provoking and enlightening on show at the Oratory of Saint Lawrence in Palermo The Italian artist Michelangelo Pistoletto has unveiled his homage to Caravaggio’s Nativity masterpiece at the Sicilian oratory where the 17th-century work was cut from its frame and stolen more than 50 years ago Arte Povera pioneer Pistoletto unveiled his interpretation of Caravaggio’s painting Nativity with Saints Lawrence and Francis of Assisi (1600) at the Oratory of Saint Lawrence in Palermo thieves cut the Caravaggio canvas from its frame with a razor The passage of time and the endless versions of events offered by informers and pseudo-detectives have taken over the inquiries while the actual fate of the Nativity remains shrouded in mystery shows the angel depicted in the original Caravaggio painting; in the new version however angel’s scroll has been replaced by the symbol of the Third Paradise which comes from the sign of mathematical infinity The mirror creates an image within an image by reflecting the depiction of The Martyrdom of Saint Lawrence on the opposite wall of the oratory by Giacomo Serpotta Pistoletto says in a statement: "By preserving a part of the ancient painting the angel descending from the sky brings the Annunciation of the Third Paradise as a symbol of a possible balance between nature and artifice This vision invites collective responsibility transforming conflict into a new horizon of civilization where creation prevails over destruction." The Pistoletto initiative was launched by the non-profit Association Amici dei Musei Siciliani as part of an ongoing cultural project known as Next which is now in its 15th edition “The aim of the project is to keep the memory of the famous canvas alive and to exorcise, through art, one of the most dramatic events in the history of cultural heritage, an open wound that still awaits, with hope, a possible recovery,” says a project statement. There are many theories about the fate of the Caravaggio work including the proposition that it was kept in a barn where it was eaten by mice and pigs. Another hypothesis is that the painting was buried under rubble during the 1980 earthquake in Irpinia while negotiations were underway with the Camorra, the Neapolitan mafia, to exchange it for a cache of drugs and arms. Another theory floats the idea that the painting was sold via the mafia to an art trafficker of Swiss origin, probably from Lugano, who proposed selling it in pieces. The theft of the Caravaggio, which is included in the FBI’s list of the top ten art crimes, has featured in the testimony of numerous mafia informants. Michelangelo Pistoletto, Annunciazione Terzo Paradiso, in situ at the Oratory of Saint Lawrence in Palermo, Sicily news27 December 2022It is 53 years since Caravaggio’s Nativity was stolen in Palermo—Vanessa Beecroft unveils her own version of the masterpiece in SicilyTheft from a Baroque oratory in 1969 remains "an open wound" news29 May 2024New ‘Caravaggio’ work unveiled at the Prado divides scholarsEcce Homo work goes on show at Madrid museum but some critics disagree with new attribution Teatro del Maggio announces that additional seats are available in the stalls for all 4 performances of “Caravaggio” with Roberto Bolle either at the box office (Monday to Friday: 10am-1pm/3pm-6pm; Saturday: 10am-1pm; two hours before the shows) at the Courtesy Service ‪(+39 055 2779309‬ – virtù@maggiofiorentino.com; Tuesday Thursday: 2pm-6pm; Wednesday: 10am-1pm;) or online on the Maggio website A masterpiece of dance by the brilliant choreographer Mauro Bigonzetti makes its Italian debut This powerful and visceral performance is inspired by the life and works of Michelangelo Merisi transforming the revolutionary drama and theatricality of the great painter into movement Starring the world-renowned Étoile Roberto Bolle joined by an extraordinary cast of talents and a company created specifically for the occasion Caravaggio takes you on an emotional journey into the restless and brilliant soul of an immortal artist. at the Teatro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino as part of the 87th edition of the namesake festival and from May 15th at the Teatro Arcimboldi in Milan MusicBruno Moretti (da Claudio Monteverdi) CostumesLois Swandale and Kristopher Millar A historic Rome villa with the world's only known ceiling painting by Caravaggio will open its doors exclusively to visitors of the blockbuster show dedicated to the Baroque genius The Casino di Villa Boncompagni Ludovisi is home to the 25th work in Caravaggio 2025 - the Rome exhibition that everyone is talking about From Saturday 29 March until Sunday 6 July visitors to the Caravaggio exhibition at Palazzo Barberini will also have the unique opportunity to admire the Jupiter commissioned in the late 16th century by Cardinal Francesco Maria Del Monte for his alchemy laboratory was subsequently covered over and was only rediscovered in 1968 A small taste of the Caravaggio blockbuster, hailed as one of the most important, ambitious exhibitions ever dedicated to the Baroque master, opening in Rome on Friday. pic.twitter.com/n8t8Qpr9s0 — Wanted in Rome (@wantedinrome) March 6, 2025 which measures 2.75 metres wide and is located in a small room on the first floor depicts Jupiter reaching out to move the celestial sphere in which the sun revolves around the earth In addition to seeing the Caravaggio ceiling painting visitors can admire a lavish fresco created by the Italian Baroque painter Guercino in 1621 of the Roman goddess of dawn located on Via Lombardia 46 (off Via Veneto) cost €12 and take place on Saturdays and Sundays at 10.00 For more details see Palazzo Barberini website. 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