Caravaggio's The Taking of Christ: Saints and Sinners in Baroque Painting

May 30-July 18, 1999

Overview: The Taking of Christ (1602), by Michelangelo da Merisi, known as Caravaggio, was the centerpiece of this exhibition, which also featured 9 related baroque paintings from the collection of the National Gallery of Art. The painting had traveled to the United States for the exhibition Saints and Sinners: Caravaggio and the Baroque Image at the McMullen Museum of Art, Boston College. It was shown in Washington by special arrangement before being returned to Ireland. The Taking of Christ was found in 1990 in the Dublin residence of the Society of Jesus (The Jesuits). After its discovery, the painting was placed on indefinite loan to the National Gallery of Ireland.

The coordinating curator for the exhibition in Washington was Philip Conisbee, senior curator of European paintings. The exhibition was made possible by a grant from EduCap Inc.

Attendance: 80,361 (50 days)

Location: West Building, Main Floor, Gallery 29

Brochure: Caravaggio's The Taking of Christ: Saints and Sinners in Baroque Painting, by Mari Griffith. Washington, DC: National Gallery of Art, 1999.

Web site: Related Online Resources

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