The recent Caravaggio 2025 Exhibition at Palazzo Barberini in Rome curated the offerings on show into four major categories:(i) Making a Name in Rome; (ii) Invigorating the Dark Shadows; (iii) The Sacred and the Tragic Between Rome and Naples; and (iv) Endgame. I will arrange the Caravaggio paintings that I have personally seen over the course of the past year accordingly, beginning (in this post) with the first category.
Caravaggio was born in Milan but his family moved to Caravaggio, a little town in the north of Italy, to escape the plague (At this time the commune of Caravaggio was considered Venetian territory.). Caravaggio studied painting during his youth and his teacher was Simone Peterzano, one of the last students of the Venetian great Titian.
Caravaggio left his hometown in 1592 and made his way to Milan. Once there, he found it to be a "dog-eat-dog" environment and he got off to a quite rocky start. He was, like many other aspiring painters, forced to parade around the Piazza Navona with his works hung around him -- in sandwich-board fashion -- hoping that someone would notice his work and favor him with their patronage.
According to Caravaggio 2025, starting in the summer of his arrival, Caravaggio moved to the workshop of the painter Guiseppe Cesari d'Arpino where he was "engaged in painting flowers and fruits." The partnership ended abruptly after 8 months. The work he did at d'Arpino's shop is reflected in the prominence of fruits and/or leaves in many of Caravaggio's early paintings.
Caravaggio's hunt for a patron bore fruit when he was "discovered" by Cardinal Francisco Maria del Monte, a close ally of the Medici family and, at that time, residing in the nearby Medici Palace. Based on the Cardinal's invitation, Caravaggio moved into the upper floors of the palace and produced most of his early works therein.
Now onto some of those early works.
One of Caravaggio's earliest paintings from his time in Rome is Boy Peeling Fruit. According to sources cited by the Caravaggio 2025 exhibition, this piece was painted during the time that Caravaggio stayed with Monsignor Pandolfo Pucci, a prelate from Recanati. The first reliable record of this piece's provenance was its mention in the inventory of James II of England.
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Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio, Boy Peeling Fruit, c. 1592 - 93 (Royal Collection Trust, UK; viewed at Caravaggio 2025 exhibition, 7/18/25) |
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Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio, Self portrait as Bacchus (known as Sick Bacchus), c. 1593 (Galleria Borghese, Rome; viewed at Caravaggio 2025 exhibition, 7/18/25) |
While Boy Bitten by a Lizard does not yet manifest Caravaggio's signature chiaroscuoro, it does capture his ability to register a single point in time and centers flowers and leaves in a prominent still life.
This painting was, according to Caravaggio's biographers, most certainly made for the open market, rather than for a specific patron. Many early 17th century copies of this painting exist "including a high-quality replica" at the Fondazione Longhi (Florence) which is thought to some to be from the hands of Caravaggio himself.
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Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio, Boy Bitten by a Lizard, c. 1594 - 95 (National Gallery, London; viewed in situ 12/5/24) |
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Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio, Fortune Teller, c. 1596 - 97 (Musei Capitolini - Pinacoteca Capitolina, Rome; viewed at Caravaggio 2025 exhibition, 7/18/25) |
Similar to Fortune Teller in both airiness and underlying lack of morals, The Cardsharps was one of the first Caravaggio's to be purchased by Cardinal Monte. Referred to as The Game in early sources, this painting was acquired by Cardinal Antonio Barberini upon Monte's death.
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Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio, The Cardsharps, c. 1596 - 97 (Kimbell Art Museum, Fort Worth, TX; viewed at Caravaggio 2025 exhibition, 7/18/25) |
Caravaggio painted from live models; he did not do any drawings or other preparatory work. If he was dissatisfied with a painting, or a part of a painting, he simply painted over the offending area. His backgrounds at this time were mostly neutral.
The model in The Musicians (called Concert at the Caravaggio 2025 exhibition) is Mario Minniti, a young Sicilian painter with whom Caravaggio, according to Dr. Ruggerio, had an amorous relationship. This painting was done for Cardinal Monte, the first of a number. Caravaggio is the figure in the background.
This painting was also acquired by Cardinal Barberini upon Monte's death.
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Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio, The Musicians, 1597 (National Gallery, Washington, DC; viewed in situ 8/5/25) |
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Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio, Narcissus, 1597 - 99 (Gallerie Nazionale di Arte Antica, Palazzo Barberini, Rome; viewed at Caravaggio 2025 exhibition, 7/18/25) |