David Carrier reviews the exhibitions Roma al tempo di Caravaggio 1600-1630 at the Museo Nazionale di Palazzo Venezia, Rome (through March 18, 2012) and Guercino (1591-1666) at Palazzo Barberini, Rome (through April 29, 2012).

Carrier argues that Caravaggio is the only artist of his time to remain relevant to contemporary audiences: "Just as Willem de Kooning inspired very many painters in the 1950s, but no one who was his equal, so with Caravaggio …while two generations ago, Caravaggio was merely one of many great baroque artists, now, having outdistanced all of his rivals, he has become the Italian old master who speaks not just to specialist audiences, but also to the general public."