Caravaggio's context: Why removing art from its original setting is amputation

In a piece for The Art Newspaper, an art historian contends that taking artworks out of their original settings for preservation purposes diminishes their significance. While observing Caravaggio's 'Seven Acts of Mercy' (1607) in a chapel in Naples, the author noted that the painting continues to fulfill its role for the Pio Monte della Misericordia charity. Conversely, Caravaggio's 'Flagellation of Christ' (also 1607) was relocated in 1972 from the church of San Domenico Maggiore to Museo di Capodimonte for safety reasons. This move is described as disastrous; the artwork was elevated to masterpiece status but reduced to an object, its context merely a label. The commentary also references Pompeii, where wall paintings taken to private collections left bare walls, while those remaining in situ, like those in the Lupanar brothel, endured due to past generations' interests. The author raises the question of who gains from ancient artworks stored away while their original walls remain empty.