Palazzo Barberini unveils unique Caravaggio portrait, November 21, 2024

Rome’s magnificent Palazzo Barberini held a press conference to unveil to the public, and for the first time in 60 years, a unique portrait by one of the world’s greatest artists, Michelangelo Merisi, aka Caravaggio.

The “Caravaggio. The Unveiled Portrait” conference was held by Thomas Clement Salomon, the director of Palazzo Barberini,  Massimo Osanna, the director general of Italian museums and Paola Nicita, Palazzo Barberini’s curator.

The portrait itself, which belongs to a private art collector, is of Monsignor Maffeo Barberini who would go on to become Pope Urbano VIII in 1623.  Caravaggio is believed to have painted the portrait in 1599, or according to some sources in 1603.  It is apparently the very first time (in the last 60 years) that the painting is being shown to the general public. 

Caravaggio’s portrait can be seen until February 23rd, 2025.