The Italian government has acquired a rare Caravaggio portrait of Maffeo Barberini, the future Pope Urban VIII, for €30 million following a year of negotiations with private owners. The 17th-century masterpiece, which depicts one of the artist's most influential patrons, will join the permanent collection of the Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Antica at Palazzo Barberini in Rome. It represents one of the largest sums ever paid by the Italian state for a single work of art.
This acquisition is a significant victory for public heritage and art scholarship, as the painting has been largely inaccessible to the public and researchers since its attribution in 1963. By securing the work for a national museum, Italy prevents the masterpiece from disappearing into a private collection via the international art market. Experts believe the portrait will provide crucial new insights into Caravaggio’s technical evolution and brushwork during his most prolific Roman period.