How did Roberto Longhi rediscover and redefine Caravaggio?

Roberto Longhi was a prominent 20th-century Italian art historian, academic, and curator whose scholarly work heavily focused on master painters. Notably, Caravaggio was one of the primary subjects of his extensive art historical studies. Through his academic career from 1890 to 1970, Longhi played a crucial role in bringing renewed scholarly attention to Caravaggio's work.

What we know

• Roberto Longhi was an Italian academic, art historian, and curator who lived from 1890 to 1970. [1, 2]
• Caravaggio was one of the main subjects of study for Roberto Longhi. [2]
• Piero della Francesca was another primary subject of study alongside Caravaggio for Roberto Longhi. [2]

Where to go next

• compared withWho was Piero della Francesca in Longhi's studies?
• a case in pointWhat are the major works of Caravaggio?
• how it workedHow do art historians attribute disputed paintings?
• whereWhere is Caravaggio's The Taking of Christ housed?
• the bigger pictureWhat was the role of Italian art historians in the 20th century?
• an unexpected connectionHow does Caravaggio's painting connect to the National Gallery of Ireland?Longhi's dedication to studying Caravaggio brings light to famous Baroque masterpieces like The Taking of Christ, which eventually found a home in Dublin.

Sources

• [1]Roberto Longhi (Wikidata Q1361667) · CC0 1.0
• [2]Roberto Longhi · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [3]The Taking of Christ (Caravaggio) · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [4]Ecce Homo (Caravaggio, Genoa) · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [5]The Crucifixion of Saint Andrew (Caravaggio) · CC BY-SA 4.0