'Caravaggio in its purest form': Rare masterpieces showcased in Rome exhibition

In total, the Caravaggio exhibition counts 24 paintings, drawn from private and public collections in Italy, the US, Spain, Ireland and Britain. — Reuters

A major exhibition dedicated to baroque master Caravaggio has opened in Rome, Italy including normally out-of-reach works from private collections and others not seen in the artist’s Italian homeland for centuries.

Caravaggio, born as Michelangelo Merisi, was a virtuoso of the chiaroscuro technique of lighting to make his subjects seem to come alive. He led a short and turbulent life, which included a forced exile from Rome after killing a man in a brawl.