Origins & Early Life

Roberto Longhi (28 December 1890 – 3 June 1970) was an Italian academic, art historian, and curator. The main subjects of his studies were the painters Caravaggio and Piero della Francesca. Longhi was born in December 1890 in Alba, Piedmont to parents from Emilia. He studied with Pietro Toesca in Turin and Adolfo Venturi in Rome.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

The latter made him book reviews editor of the journal L'Arte in 1914. Between 1912 and 1917, Longhi, primarily an essayist, published texts in L'Arte and La Voce on Mattia Preti, Piero della Francesca, Orazio Borgianni and Orazio Gentileschi. His writings in L'Arte were academic whereas his writings in La Voce were very radical. Over the course of his career, Longhi developed a fascination with Caravaggio and his followers. his book Quesiti caravaggeschi [Questions on Caravaggio] (1928–34), was followed by Ultimi studi caravaggeschi [Latest Caravaggio studies] (1943).

Enduring Legacy & Impact

In 1951, Longhi curated a ground-breaking exhibition on Caravaggio at the Royal Palace in Milan, Mostra di Caravaggio e dei Caravaggeschi. In 1968 he authored a monograph on the artist. Whilst establishing himself as a notable Caravaggio scholar, Longhi retained a...

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