ST. PETERSBURG, FL.- The Museum of Fine Arts, St. Petersburg is presenting In Caravaggio’s Light: Baroque Masterpieces from the Fondazione Roberto Longhi. Featuring some 40 masterpieces from one of the world’s most revered private collections of 17th-century painting, the exhibition offers a rare opportunity for American audiences to experience the revolutionary genius of Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio and the international artists he inspired.

At the exhibition’s heart is Caravaggio’s electrifying masterpiece, Boy Bitten by a Lizard (c. 1597), a cornerstone of the Fondazione Roberto Longhi collection. The painting freezes a fleeting moment of shock and pain, blending a lush still-life with piercing psychological insight. Its intense realism, dramatic light ( chiaroscuro ), and theatric power shattered artistic conventions. Remarkably, this is the first time in more than a decade that the Longhi version of the iconic painting is on view in the United States.

Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio, Boy Bitten by a Lizard (Ragazzo morso da un ramarro), c. 1597, oil on canvas, cat 1980 n° 83, 65,8 x 52,3 cm. Courtesy of Fondazione di Studi di Storia dell’Arte Roberto Longhi, Florence, Italy.

Beyond Caravaggio, the exhibition charts his seismic impact on European art. Visitors will explore stunning works by his closest followers—the Caravaggisti—who adopted his bold techniques to create their own powerful art:

Valentin de Boulogne, The Denial of Saint Peter (Negazione di Pietro), c. 1615–17, oil on canvas, cat 1980 n° 164, 171,5 x 241 cm. Courtesy of Fondazione di Studi di Storia dell’Arte Roberto Longhi, Florence, Italy.

An emotionally charged, large-scale masterpiece that showcases the artist’s sophisticated use of shadow and narrative tension.

Jusepe Ribera, Saint Bartholomew (San Bartolomeo), c. 1612, oil on canvas, cat 1980 n° 171, 126 x 97 cm. Courtesy of Fondazione di Studi di Storia dell’Arte Roberto Longhi, Florence, Italy.

Jusepe Ribera, Saint Philip (San Filippo), 1613, oil on canvas, cat 1980 n° 172, 126 x 97 cm. Courtesy of Fondazione di Studi di Storia dell’Arte Roberto Longhi, Florence, Italy.

Jusepe Ribera, Saint Thomas (San Tommaso), 1613, oil on canvas, cat 1980 n° 174, 126 x 97 cm. Courtesy of Fondazione di Studi di Storia dell’Arte Roberto Longhi, Florence, Italy.

Works painted with haunting realism and dramatic light that convey deep spiritual intensity, underscoring Ribera’s pivotal role in spreading tenebrism throughout Spain and Naples.

Carlo Saraceni, Judith with the Head of Holofernes (Giuditta con la testa di Oloferne), c. 1618, oil on canvas, cat 1980 n° 83, 95.8 x 77.3 cm. Courtesy of Fondazione di Studi di Storia dell’Arte Roberto Longhi, Florence, Italy.

A dramatic and gripping tableau that exemplifies the artist’s masterful blend of Venetian colorism and Caravaggesque lighting.

Matthias Stomer, The Annunciation of Samson's Birth (L'arcangelo Raffaele e la famiglia di Tobi), c. 1630–32), oil on canvas, cat 1980 n° 168, 99 x 124.8 cm. Courtesy of Fondazione di Studi di Storia dell’Arte Roberto Longhi, Florence, Italy.
 

Matthias Stomer, The Healing of Tobit (La guarigione di Tobia), c. 1640–1649, oil on canvas, cat 1980 n° 169, 155 x 207 cm. Courtesy of Fondazione di Studi di Storia dell’Arte Roberto Longhi, Florence, Italy.

Paintings whose cinematic scale and radiant compositions underscore the Dutch artist’s place among the greatest interpreters of sacred drama in Caravaggio’s wake.

All works in the exhibition come from the collection of Roberto Longhi (1890–1970), the legendary Italian art historian and connoisseur. His pioneering scholarship in the 20th century restored Caravaggio to his rightful place in the art historical canon. Longhi’s discerning eye not only rediscovered lost masterpieces, but also assembled one of the most significant and personal collections of Baroque painting ever formed. Much of this collection has never before traveled to the United States.

“Caravaggio changed painting forever, and his influence echoes through the centuries” said Dr. Stanton Thomas, William and Hazel Hough Chief Curator . “This exhibition is an extraordinary opportunity to experience that revolution firsthand, from a masterwork by Caravaggio himself to the daring interpretations of those he inspired. To host the Longhi collection here at the MFA is a profound privilege for our museum and our community.”

To complement In Caravaggio’s Light , the Museum concurrently presents Baroque Continuum: Caravaggio and the Caravaggisti Over Time . This focused exhibition traces the enduring reach of Caravaggio’s innovations across four centuries, from the Baroque period through to the present day. Featuring works in painting, printmaking, photography, and sculpture, Baroque Continuum reveals how artists across Europe and the Americas have drawn on Caravaggio’s dramatic realism, theatrical staging, and emotional intensity to explore psychological states and human experience in ever-evolving ways. Artists featured in Baroque Continuum include Thomas Anshutz, Gertrude Käsebier, Edward Steichen, Dianora Nicolini, Reza Aramesh , and others.

The exhibition design across both shows will immerse visitors in the world of Baroque. The galleries have been transformed with sumptuous damask wall coverings and theatrical lighting to evoke the dramatic, opulent environment for which these paintings were created.

Gioacchino Assereto, Samson and Delilah (Sansone e Dalila), circa 1630, oil on canvas, cat. 1980, n.124, 112 x 162 cm. Courtesy of Fondazione di Studi di Storia dell’Arte Roberto Longhi, Florence, Italy.