Italian Baroque painter Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio passed in 1610, but his work has long outlived him. Since, artists and frauds alike have been reproducing his oeuvre.
Just a few years ago, for example, owners of an old house near Toulouse believed they had found one of the artist’s 400-year-old canvases in their attic; after igniting a major art world debate, the painting (perhaps unsurprisingly) turned out to be a fake.
Now, Italian luxury brand Fendi has partnered with Rome’s famed Galleria Borghese to bring three of the late artist’s original masterpieces to the Getty Center in Los Angeles. The exhibition—spotlighting Boy with a Basket of Fruit, Saint Jerome, and David with the Head of Goliath—provides a rare opportunity to view the work of one of the world’s greatest artists outside of Rome.
With the show, Fendi is also launching an institute to help prove authenticity and prevent controversy over recently discovered works through a comprehensive research program. Opening in three years, the initiative is part of a partnership between the brand and museum.
In the meantime, the traveling exhibition will be on view through February 18 at 1200 Getty Center Drive, and at undisclosed locations thereafter.
See also: ‘Fendi Studios’ in Rome through March 25
