Caravaggio a Milano, 1951. Il dibattito sulla carta stampata: critica e militanza

The exhibition dedicated to Caravaggio, which was held in Milan in the spring of 1951 by Roberto Longhi, was a culmination of Caravaggio studies in the first half of the twentieth century and marked a watershed in the history of criticism of the Lombard master. Here the author examines some unappreciated evidences, that is the reviews and the articles published in periodicals and newspapers, which offer material for a broader reflection on the theme of realism. They are proof of the liveliness of the historic moment, of which translate controversy, feelings, opinions that can return the typical tension of the exhibition. Among the actors of this complex situation there are columnists, publicists, writers and critics, such as Leonardo Borgese, Alfredo Mezio, Mario De Micheli, Elio Vittorini, but also directors and documentarians like Umberto Barbaro.