Caravaggio e i Maestri della Luce

From 7 March to 7 June 2026, the Museo Storico della Fanteria hosts an evocative exhibition dedicated to the world of Caravaggism and the profound mark left by the brilliant artist, the undisputed master of light, on many artists.

The exhibition reveals how Michelangelo Merisi revolutionised the rules of painting, and winds through the works of artists who embraced and reinterpreted his vision. 

Among the first works on display are paintings that convey the tension and drama of Caravaggio's early works, including pieces by Bartolomeo Manfredi and Antivedo Gramatica, in which light, besides illuminating, represents an expressive language that narrates, evokes emotion and guides the gaze, transforming realism into a true visual ideology.

The following section accompanies the public on a journey of discovery of the personal and poetic naturalism of artists such as Orazio Gentileschi and Massimo Stanzione: their works reflect, albeit with different styles and sensibilities, Caravaggio's legacy among measured gestures, soft atmospheres and the use of light that emphasises the depth of the scenes and the emotions of the characters depicted. 

The exhibition is enriched by paintings of international artists, such as Van Der Helst, Stomer, and De Ribera, who adopted and reinterpreted Caravaggio's ideas, demonstrating how his creative genius and influence extended beyond Italy. Their works are accompanied by contributions from the Bolognese school, including Simone Cantarini, in which light and shadow combine into a harmonious and balanced ideal. 

Caravaggio e i Maestri della Luce (Caravaggio and the Masters of Light) closes with the artist's emblematic work, The Incredulity of Saint Thomas, the heart of the exhibition, which brings together all the distinctive elements with which he radically marked the history of art of his time and beyond: strength, luminous intensity, realism and spiritual depth.