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A rare painting by the Italian baroque master Caravaggio, thought to date from 1598, has been bought by Italy for €30 million, in one of the country’s largest investments for a piece of art.
The “Portrait of Monsignor Maffeo Barberini” depicts the future pope in his 30s, dressed as a cleric of the Apostolic Chamber, at a crucial moment in his rise to power.
He went on to become Pope Urban VIII in 1623 and was notable for being a patron of the arts and Baroque architecture.
The work was made famous by art critic Roberto Longhi in his 1963 article “The True ‘Maffeo Barberini’ of Caravaggio,” and has since been widely recognised by critics as a work by Caravaggio, also known as Michelangelo Merisi.
National treasure
Caravaggio revolutionised painting at the turn of the 17th century by introducing a dramatic use of light that became the cornerstone of the Baroque style.
Although, Caravaggio is one of the most studied artists in the world, there are an extremely limited confirmed number of his works.
“This is a work of exceptional importance,” Italy’s Culture Minister Alessandro Giuli said in a statement, noting the painting was a turning point in Caravaggio’s modern rediscovery and its purchase has helped strengthen the presence of his works in Italian public collections.
The painting was acquired from a private collection by the Italian state after more than a a year of negotiations and will now enter Rome’s Palazzo Barberini permanent collection.
Last month, Rome purchased Antonello da Messina’s Ecce Homo, and this latest acquisition is part of Italy’s broader scheme to strengthen and protect its national cultural heritage, and make some art history masterpieces accessible to scholars and the public.
At Palazzo Barberini, the portrait will be displayed alongside Caravaggio’s other works — one of the world’s most important collections — in particular along another of Caravaggio’s masterpieces, “Judith Slaying Holofernes,” also purchased by the Italian state in 1971.