Caravaggio at the Hermitage

Last July, I took a cruise through the Baltic States and had a two-day stay at St Petersburg, Russia. My aim was to visit the Hermitage. So I had pre-booked a museum private tour before I even embarked on the ship.

I asked my tour guide to visit the third floor. A friend of mine who had been there advised me to do so, because this particular floor holds the best collection of European art. And so it was!

Right in the middle of the hall stood a lovely piece of furniture, panel like, free standing, about 2.5 metres high (made probably from the Caucasian palm or better known as iron wood).

Hanging on each side of this panel were two masterpieces depicting the "Holy Sacred Family" by Caravaggio. They must have been two of the oldest paintings from the great master. Twenty-five metres down the hall stood an identical panel, this time depicting two great works, with the same theme, but coming from the great Leonardo da Vinci! How lucky could I get!

We went through the early Picasso work, which I must say, is the second biggest collection of the painter besides the one at Louvres. To crown my efforts I got a glimpse of Rembrandt's "Christ on the Cross".

Caravaggio's influence in Holland was so strong that his name has been applied to a school of Dutch painters, including Rembrandt - the Utrecht Caravaggisti.

Well done to all at Heritage Malta and Culture Minister Francis Zammit Dimech who have launched the great Caravaggio event in Malta.