The Museum of Fine Arts St. Pete is giving visitors a chance to travel back in time to 16th-century Italy. It’s all part of their newest exhibit, “In Caravaggio’s Light.”
Walking through the exhibit, Stanton Thomas isn’t just a curator; he’s a trailblazer. This is the first time these paintings, all dating back to the Baroque Era, are being shown in the United States.
WATCH full report by Robert Boyd
Baroque period is alive and well at the Museum of Fine Arts in St. Petersburg
“It was a long process, it took about three years, we worked with the Longhi Foundation, we also worked with another private foundation and the Italian government,” said Thomas. “For the most part they live in the Longhi Foundation which is a private foundation outside of Florence and they are not really available to the public. Bringing 40 extremely rare paintings to the United States just takes time but it really was a labor of love.”
Masterpiece after masterpiece lines the museum walls, but there is one that stands out among all the rest.
“And it’s a Caravaggio that is not only an iconic one, it’s “The Boy Bitten by a Lizard,” but it’s one that’s never been touched, it’s in just pristine condition,” said Thomas. “It’s really the first time anybody has done a scene of daily life and particularly one that is so filled with emotion, note the expression on his face and also the very physical reaction.”
The museum also wanted the entire exhibit to have a cinematic effect on its visitors.
“When you go to a movie theater and it’s really dark and it takes a moment for your eyes to adjust because it’s the best way to show these pictures, it really brings them to life, you get that sense of drama, you get that sense of movement, and a sense of vibrancy,” said Thomas.
Coinciding with the exhibit is “Baroque Continuum,” which explores the impact of the Baroque period on artists today.
“Take the ideals of the Baroque, that sense of drama, of physical realism, and profound emotion, and make it come alive as related to the present day,” said Thomas.
The exhibit,” In Caravaggio’s Light,” runs through March 22.
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