Hendrick de Somer, known as Enrico Fiammingo (Lokeren, 1602 – 1655/6 Naples), David with the Head of Goliath, c. 1640. Oil on canvas, 101.5 x 75 cm. © Colnaghi

BRUSSELS.- Colnaghi Brussels announces its upcoming exhibition, Northern Lights: Masterpieces of Flemish Caravaggism, opening on December 10, 2025 and running through January 30, 2026. This landmark presentation celebrates the gallery’s first year in its new Brussels premices with a museum-quality exhibition dedicated to one of the most compelling yet often neglected chapters in European art history, the encounter between Flemish painting and Caravaggio’s radical naturalism.

A New Perspective on the Dialogue Between the Arts of Northern and Southern Europe

The exhibition explores how a generation of Flemish artists drawn to Italy by the light and psychological intensity of Caravaggio reinterpreted his vision through their own northern sensibility and the enduring influence of Peter Paul Rubens.

While some painters, such as Hendrick de Somer and Matthias Stom, chose to remain in Italy, others returned to Flanders to develop a distinctly local version of Caravaggism, among them Abraham Janssens, and Jan van Dalem. Their works, included in the exhibition, reflect a dynamic exchange between Rome, Naples, and Antwerp, an artistic dialogue which defined European painting in the early seventeenth century.

A New Chapter for Colnaghi in Brussels

With this exhibition, Colnaghi reaffirms its longstanding commitment to presenting Old Master painting with scholarly depth and curatorial rigor. The newly opened Brussels space marks a new chapter for the gallery, extending its legacy as one of the world’s oldest art dealerships into the cultural heart of Europe.

“Closing the year with an exhibition of such historical and artistic resonance also reflects our dedication to bringing overlooked movements back into focus,” says Philippe Henricot, Director of Colnaghi Brussels. “Flemish Caravaggism remains one of the most compelling yet undervalued chapters of Flemish Art History. We are proud to play a part in its renewed appreciation among the public in Belgium and worldwide.”