"Not only is the painting-along with 39 others by Caravaggio and an international cast of Caravaggisti, as the Baroque artist's followers are known-making a rare trip from Florence to the U.S., it is presented unconserved, in its original state. "Maybe the varnish is a little yellow, or there are a few scratches," Thomas explains. "But you are seeing the brilliance of the artist's hand, which is unsullied and untouched.""
"Seeing this painting arrive at the museum and go on the wall was very emotional for me. There's something so profound about this work. It's pretty clearly associated with homoeroticism, and a degree of luxury and decadence that most people didn't have access to. But nonetheless it's a very typical looking human being with a very typical reaction. It's not about anything, really, except for em"
The exhibition "In Caravaggio's Light" presents 40 paintings from the Fondazione Roberto Longhi, including 39 works by Caravaggio and Caravaggisti, on view at the Museum of Fine Arts, St. Petersburg through Mar. 22, 2026, before traveling to the Mint Museum in Charlotte. Boy Bitten by a Lizard is displayed unconserved in its original state, showing varnish discoloration and surface scratches that nevertheless reveal the artist's untarnished brushwork. The Longhi collection reflects Roberto Longhi's role in reviving Caravaggio's reputation and emphasizes Baroque drama, homoerotic subtext, luxury, and naturalistic human reaction.
Read at ARTnews.com
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