"This work of exceptional importance can now be offered to the public and the international scholarly community. This acquisition is part of a broader project to strengthen the national heritage with the aim of making art history masterpieces accessible."
"The portrait only entered the catalogue of Caravaggio works in the 1960s after Roberto Longhi, a prominent Italian art historian, published an article on the painting. Even so, it remained elusive for decades, hidden away in a private collection in Florence and beyond the reach of scholars."
"Portrait of Maffeo Barberini (1598) will be displayed alongside the museum's other works by the Baroque master including Narcissus (1597-99) and Judith Beheading Holofernes (1598-99), which the Italian state purchased in 1971."
Italy's Ministry of Culture acquired a Caravaggio portrait of Maffeo Barberini, the future Pope Urban VIII, for €30 million after extensive negotiations. The painting, created in 1598, remained hidden in private collections for decades before resurfacing in 2024. It was officially catalogued as a Caravaggio work only in the 1960s following art historian Roberto Longhi's research. The acquisition represents one of the highest amounts the ministry has spent on artwork. The portrait will permanently join the Palazzo Barberini's collection alongside other Caravaggio masterpieces, making it accessible to scholars and the public as part of Italy's broader initiative to preserve and display national artistic heritage.
Read at Artnet News
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