ST. PETERSBURG — “In Caravaggio’s Light: Baroque Masterpieces from the Fondazione Roberto Longhi,” a landmark exhibition, will open on Saturday, Oct. 25, at the Museum of Fine Arts, St. Petersburg, 255 Beach Drive NE, St. Petersburg. The exhibition will continue through March 22.

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 will be the first time in more than a decade that the Longhi version of the iconic painting will be on view in the United States.

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. These works include:

• Valentin de Boulogne’s “The Denial of Saint Peter” (c. 1615–17): An emotionally charged, large-scale masterpiece that showcases the artist’s sophisticated use of shadow and narrative tension.

• Jusepe de Ribera’s series of Apostles (c. 1612): 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’s “Judith with the Head of Holofernes” (c. 1618): A dramatic and gripping tableau that exemplifies the artist’s masterful blend of Venetian colorism and Caravaggesque lighting.

• Matthias Stomer’s “The Annunciation of Samson’s Birth” (c. 1630–32) and “The Healing of Tobit” (c. 1640–1649): 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 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 will concurrently present “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 will be transformed with sumptuous damask wall coverings and theatrical lighting to evoke the dramatic, opulent environment for which these paintings were created.

The museum will present a robust slate of programs alongside “In Caravaggio’s Light” and “Baroque Continuum.” Highlights include scholar talks and tours with leading experts from the Fondazione Roberto Longhi and a one-night-only immersive opera by Nathan Felix. The full list of programs can be found online at mfastpete.org/exhibition/in-caravaggios-light/.

The Museum of Fine Arts, St. Petersburg has an encyclopedic collection of art from around the globe and across the centuries, with almost 5,000 years of civilization represented in thousands of objects extending from antiquity to the present. The collection includes works by Georgia O’Keeffe, Claude Monet, Berthe Morisot, Auguste Rodin, Kehinde Wiley, Jacob Lawrence, and many others, as well as ancient Greek and Roman, Asian, African, Art of the Americas, and Native American art.

For information and tickets, visit mfastpete.org.