Rome is abuzz with news about Caravaggio in the past weeks! The Baroque bad boy — who died 400 years ago this month — has been in the spotlight for months as the Eterna marks the anniversary of his demise and capitalizes on an ever-growing fascination with the artist. From February to June, fans flocked to the Scuderie al Quirinale to admire an exhibition of Caravaggio paintings brought from museums around the world; in June a team of scientists announced the discovery of a body that may be that of the artist; and just last weekend, the Borghese Gallery and three Roman churches stayed open all night to let Caravaggio fans admire his works on the 400th anniversary of the Italian Baroque artist’s death.
In the midst of all this excitement, the Vatican’s official newspaper, L’Osservatore Romano published a newly discovered painting thought (perhaps) to be by the artist. The painting, found recently among the possessions of the Society of Jesuits in Rome, shows the martyrdom of St. Lawerence, depicting a semi-naked young man, his mouth open in desperation with one arm stretched out as he leans over flames.
Scholars have been quick to point out that the painting has not been authenticated. Religious art historian Lydia Salviucci Insolera commented: “This is certainly a stylistically impeccable painting but we shouldn’t fall into the trap of claiming it as a Caravaggio at all costs.” And other art historians are likewise sceptical. Polo Museum director in Rome, Rosella Vodret, said: “It looks like a very beautiful and interesting painting but before we call it a Caravaggio, it needs to be more thoroughly checked out,” while Caravaggio expert and author of a book on the artist’s life, Stefania Macioce, isalso unconvinced: “I’ll wait until I get a chance to look at it close up but from the photos I’ve seen it looks to be a thousand miles away from the maestro.”
