LONDON.- Caravaggio always attracted
controversy and by the time of his death aged only 38 in 1610 was hailed as an
artistic genius by his supporters but regarded as an abrasive upstart with the
blood of a murder on his hands by his enemies. His decisive break with
artistic tradition and dramatic use of light inspired a generation of
Caravaggesque artists. Whitfield Fine Art, a leading
international specialist in Old Master paintings, is marking the 400th
anniversary of his death with a major exhibition entitled “Caravaggio’s Friends
& Foes” at 23 Dering Street, London W1 from 26 May to 23 July 2010.
The show will feature important paintings by friends and followers of Caravaggio
and by those who were his enemies providing both a re-assessment of their work
and fresh insight into Caravaggio himself. Although some paintings will be for
sale, much of the exhibition will consist of works loaned from private and
public collections.