In 1600, the poet Giovanni Battista Marino left his native Naples for Rome and the court of Pope Clement VIII Aldobrandini. In 1608, he made his way to Florence to write for and entertain Duke Carlo Emanuele I. These were brimming years. Surrounded by rich art collections, Marino befriended many great artists, among them Caravaggio, Agostino Carracci, and Bernardo Castello. It didn’t last. The duke accused Marino of spreading malicious gossip and he was sentenced to a year in prison. The poet escaped to Paris, where he met Nicolas Poussin. This exhibition explores the life of Marino through the lens of the monumental artists who were his friends. —Elena Clavarino