Italy has purchased a rare Caravaggio portrait for 30 million euros ($34.7 million), one of the highest sums the country has ever paid for a work of art, according to the Italian Culture Ministry.
Italian Culture Minister Alessandro Giulio said in a statement that the painting, which depicts the cleric Mgr Maffeo Barberini (who later became Pope Urban VIII), was described as “extraordinarily important”.
The portrait was kept in a private collection in Florence and was first publicly exhibited in Rome in 2004. After being purchased by the Italian government, it was transferred to the permanent collection of Palazzo Barberini, the historic residence of the Barberini family, where it will be displayed alongside other works by Caravaggio.
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The Baroque master created “Barberini” around 1598. The work foreshadows his eventual rise to power: draped in an ornate green clerical cloak, he extends his right hand and nonchalantly issues orders to an unseen figure outside the frame. He was elected pope in 1623 and served until his death in 1644, leaving behind a rich legacy of patronage of the arts.
Culture Minister Alessandro Giulio said the purchase was part of a wider effort to prevent nationally important artworks from disappearing into private collections. He went on to say that the Ministry of Culture would “continue to pursue” similar acquisitions in the coming months “with the aim of giving scholars and enthusiasts access to some art historical masterpieces that would otherwise be lost to the private market”.
“I would like to thank all the agencies, officials and technical staff who have worked hard with great skill and dedication to achieve such important results,” he added.
