To mark the 400th year since the master of chiaroscuro and realism Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio came to Malta, the St John’s Co-Cathedral Foundation is holding an exhibition in October that will focus on his stay here.

The exhibition “Caravaggio and 17th century realism in Malta” will display over 17 key works showing the development of early baroque painting. Several of the major works will be loaned from national as well as private collections.

The exhibition will bring to light little known important works in Malta. The event is being held in collaboration with the Malta Council for Culture and the Arts. The highlight of the exhibition will be three major works by the master himself.

Negotiations are being finalised with the Pitti Gallery in Florence to bring a painting Caravaggio painted while in Malta especially for this exhibition.

The academic input is being supported by the University of Malta and co-ordinated by Dr Keith Sciberras. The exhibition is governed by a scientific committee of major scholars and will be accompanied by a highly academic catalogue.

The event will also include a symposium of both Maltese and foreign experts on the subject, which will be held in the Palace of the Grand Masters under the patronage of the President.

Cynthia de Giorgio, curator of the exhibition, said that research and plans for the exhibition have been underway for almost a year. This will not be just an exhibition but an important event that will not only celebrate Caravaggio’s sojourn in Malta but also a major didactic experience as it will outline the major works he created in Malta and his immediate influence on the artist milieu of the time.