MUMBAI: A painting by famous Italian master Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio will headline an exhibition jointly organised by the Dr Bhau Daji Lad Museum (BDL), Consulate General of Italy in Mumbai and Istituto Italiano di Cultura di Mumbai (the Italian centre for culture in the city), at the gallery from October 16.
In a “jugalbandi of sorts”, as Tasneem Zakaria Mehta, BDL’s managing trustee and honorary director, chose to describe the Italian masterpiece will be shown in conjunction with two works on mythological themes by famous Indian painter M V Dhurandhar. Together, the exhibition is titled, ‘The Invention of Light’.
The 16th century painting — ‘Mary Magdalene in Ecstasy’ — is of great significance to art lovers, practitioners and scholars, and will be the first by Caravaggio to be exhibited in the city. It is significant, given the historical and aesthetic value attributed to this master painter’s works which are studied in art and art history courses around the world.
Among the many qualities of Caravaggio’s work, one most commonly pointed out is evident in this painting: his use of light and dark, known as chiaroscuro.
The painting depicts Mary Magdalene with her head thrown back in ecstasy on beholding Jesus. “The (Caravaggio) painting is sensuous but is also a metaphor of divine love for the risen Christ,” said Mehta, who is the co-curator along with Andrea Anastasio, the director of Italian Embassy Cultural Centre, New Delhi.
The painting was first brought to New Delhi on April 6 in a temperature-controlled double insulated wooden crate. It was put on view at the Italian Embassy’s Cultural Centre for a week before it was moved to the Kiran Nadar Museum of Art, New Delhi. It was exhibited in Bengaluru thereafter.
Mehta said it was a logistical feat to get the fragile, 16th-century painting to India. She said, “Usually, you have to go abroad to see works by these masters. For those who cannot travel, you can pay ₹20 (as entry fee) and see this painting.”
The exhibition in Mumbai coincides with the period of festivals in the country. In a press release, on Caravaggio’s work, Consul General of Italy, Walter Ferrara was quoted as saying, “Bringing this extraordinary event to Mumbai means recognizing the Indian metropolis not only as a vibrant economic hub but as a cultural beacon.”
Zakaria added, given the reception of the work around the country, the Italians “want to have more such exhibitions featuring works by other Italian masters as well”.
On the other hand, the two paintings of Dhurandhar on display were a part of a series commissioned by the prince of Chhota Udaipur, in Gujarat. Dhurandhar was the first head of the Sir J J School of Art.
Elucidating the idea of a duet between the two artists, Mehta said that although both masters belonged to different centuries and had distinct styles, seen together, their paintings show “sensual love as a metaphor for divine love,” which can be interpreted as “how the woman’s body conveys the idea of love.”
Said Mehta, “In Dhurandhar’s ‘Usha and Aniruddha,’ you can see Usha with her head thrown back to portray her love and devotion for Aniruddha.” In Hindu mythology, an asura abducts Aniruddha who is then rescued by his grandfather, Lord Krishna.
(The exhibition will be on at Dr Bhau Daji Lad Museum from October 16 to November 2, 2025.)