Stanton Thomas, curator of the exhibition “In Caravaggio’s Light: Baroque Masterpieces from the Fondazione Roberto Longhi” likens laying eyes on Boy Bitten by a Lizard, the centerpiece of this show, to listening to original recordings on vinyl. Not only is the painting—along with 39 others by Caravaggio and an international cast of Caravaggisti, as the Baroque artist’s followers are known—making a rare trip from Florence to the U.S., it is presented unconserved, in its original state. “Maybe the varnish is a little yellow, or there are a few scratches,” Thomas explains. “But you are seeing the brilliance of the artist’s hand, which is unsullied and untouched.“In Caravaggio’s Light” is on view at the Museum of Fine Arts, St. Petersburg, through Mar. 22, 2026, at which point it will travel to the Mint Museum in Charlotte, N.C.. All of the 40 paintings are from the collection of Roberto Longhi, the Italian art historian known for revitalizing Caravaggio’s reputation as a groundbreaking artist whose flair for the dramatic steered painting into the Baroque period.Below, Thomas highlights five of the paintings from the Longhi Foundation that he was most keen to bring to the U.S. for the exhibition.