In a landmark cultural acquisition, the Italian government has successfully purchased a rare Baroque-era portrait by master painter Caravaggio for €30 million (approximately $35 million), marking one of the most significant state investments in a single artwork in the nation’s history. The Culture Ministry announced the acquisition on Tuesday following more than a year of delicate negotiations with private collectors.\n\nThe artwork, created circa 1598 and formally attributed to Caravaggio in 1963, portrays Maffeo Barberini during his nobleman years prior to his ascension as Pope Urban VIII. The portrait captures Barberini in his thirties, adorned in clerical garments of the Apostolic Chamber during a pivotal period of his political and religious career.\n\nCulture Minister Alessandro Giuli hailed the purchase as \”a work of exceptional importance,\” emphasizing its crucial role in Caravaggio’s modern rediscovery and its contribution to strengthening the presence of the artist’s works within Italian public collections. The acquisition forms part of Italy’s broader strategic initiative to enhance its national cultural heritage, following recent purchases including Antonello da Messina’s \”Ecce Homo\” masterpiece.\n\nThe painting gained scholarly recognition through art historian Roberto Longhi’s seminal 1963 article, which identified the work as a genuine Caravaggio creation. Longhi celebrated the portrait as \”one of the founding moments of modern portraiture,\\” highlighting Caravaggio’s revolutionary approach to psychological intensity and emotional depth.\n\nCaravaggio, born Michelangelo Merisi, transformed European painting at the dawn of the 17th century through his innovative chiaroscuro technique—a dramatic interplay of light and shadow that became fundamental to Baroque aesthetics. Despite being among the most extensively studied artists globally, the number of authenticated Caravaggio works remains exceptionally limited.\n\nThe newly acquired masterpiece will join the permanent collection at Rome’s Palazzo Barberini, where it will be exhibited alongside other Caravaggio masterpieces, including the renowned \”Judith Slaying Holofernes\” acquired by the state in 1971. This placement creates one of the world’s most comprehensive collections of Caravaggio’s work, making these artistic treasures accessible to both scholars and the public.
Italy buys Caravaggio painting for about $35 million, one of its largest payouts for a single work
