The Exhibition
Caravaggio 2025

The exhibition consists of an extraordinary number of paintings – both from the Palazzo Barberini itself (Judith and Holofernes) and the Galleria Borghese (Self-portrait in the guise of Bacchus) – but also includes outstanding loans from international museums! Two rediscovered masterpieces will be shown together for the first time and new technical discoveries will take centre stage. All this promises to make this exhibition a highlight for 2025!

The exhibition has been created especially for the Holy Year 2025 and shows how Caravaggio changed the art, religion and society of his time. At the same time, it emphasises the power and modernity of his painting, which made him one of the greatest artists in history.

For the first time, works with a shared history from major national and international collections are brought together and displayed in a place that reflects Caravaggio’s relationship with his patrons.

Some highlights of the exhibition at a glance:

The portrait of ‘Maffeo Barberini’: This recently rediscovered work is being presented to the public for the first time in over sixty years. It belongs to a private collection and may not be published everywhere. It is probably also one of the works that may not be photographed in the exhibition – look out for the relevant signage. The museum staff will certainly be strict.

From the Detroit Institute of Arts comes the work ‘Martha and Mary Magdalene’, which shows the same model as the work ‘Judith and Holofernes’ from the Palazzo Barberini. The two works are being exhibited side by side for the first time. Here we take a brief look at the Barberini painting:

The work, which Caravaggio painted around 1599, depicts the biblical scene in which the Jewish widow Judith beheads the Assyrian general Holofernes in order to save her people. Caravaggio captures the concrete and very striking moment of the beheading. Judith’s face shows both determination and disgust. The maid looks over her shoulder with interest and anger. The use of chiaroscuro intensifies the drama of the scene.
Somehow Caravaggio’s works always disappear: because this one was also rediscovered in 1950…

Caravaggio is not the only one to depict this important scene. But his version was the model for Artemisia Gentileschi in particular (represented twice in the gallery below). Other interpretations include Cranach (Vienna: KHM), Botticelli (Florence: Uffizi), Rubens (Florence: Uffizi) and Klimt (Vienna: Belvedere).
Note: Those example artworks are NOT shown in the exhibition!
Note 2: There is an Artemisia Gentileschi exhibition in Paris from 19. March to 3 August 2025, where you can see one of her the Judith works (2 picture in gallery)!

The exhibition is divided into various thematic areas and offers exciting insights into Caravaggio’s work. New discoveries are presented and art-historical analyses illuminated.

The tour begins with his early works and shows how Caravaggio changed the art world between the late 16th and early 17th centuries – from his beginnings to his breakthrough in Rome.

‘Caravaggio 2025’ invites visitors to look at his art from a fresh perspective. The exhibition combines historical background, critical analyses and a direct comparison of his most important works. It not only honours his artistic legacy, but also shows how his influence continues to shape modern art and our visual memory to this day.