Caravaggio 2025 at Palazzo Barberini: A Critical Review

Fabrizio Federici critiques the Caravaggio 2025 exhibition at Palazzo Barberini in Rome, arguing that the original scholarly concept—a focused show on recent discoveries—was diluted into a blockbuster monographic survey. The exhibition features 24 works spanning Caravaggio's career, including the Ecce Homo, the young Mondafrutto lent by King Charles III, two portraits of Maffeo Barberini, and loans from US museums like Hartford, Kansas City, and Fort Worth. Federici laments the trend of museums prioritizing temporary exhibitions over core activities like cataloging, restoration, and permanent collection improvement. He notes that many works are already in Roman museums or churches, and criticizes the removal of altarpieces for display. Despite reservations, he highlights standout pieces: the Santa Caterina from Madrid, the Cattura di Cristo from Dublin, and the San Francesco in estasi from Hartford. The exhibition has sold thousands of tickets before opening, confirming its commercial success.