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Peintre Italian Renaissance painter Caravaggio, born in Milan as Michelan-
gelo Merisi (1571-1610), is hosting a highly ambitious exhibition in his native
country. The Palazzo Barberini in Rome is hosting his 24 paintings from around
the world, exceptional loans from public and private collections.
Thus, the incredible «Ecce Homo» returns to Italy for the first time after four
centuries.
Discovered in Spain in 2021, this painting depicts Christ before his crucifixion,
his head encircled by a crown. This work was almost sold at auction with a star-
ting price of 1,500 euros.
During the duration of the Rome exhibition, his twenty-fifth mural work is
exceptionally visible from his private residence to the Casino of Villa Ludovisi
Boncompagni. Bringing together some of his most famous works, the exhibition
aims to offer a new and in-depth reflection on Caravaggio’s artistic and cultural
revolution by exploring for the first time the innovations he introduced into the
cultural, religious, and social landscape of his time. The museum tour is divided
into four sections spanning 15 years, from Caravaggio’s arrival in Rome in 1595
until his death in 1610.
The first section, «Debutto Romano,» marks his difficult beginnings in the capi-
tal. Trained in Milan by Simone Paterzano, a student of Titian, he found himself
painting still lifes for the painter Giuseppe Casati until he met two important
patrons, a cardinal and a banker, who helped him escape the decorative impasse
that limited his ability to express his talent.
Michelangelo Merisi, dit Caravaggio San Giovanni Battista1609-1610 olio su tela, cm 152 x 125
Galleria Borghese, Romaph. M. Coen© Galleria Borghese