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In conjunction with "In Caravaggio’s Light: Baroque Masterpieces from the Fondazione Roberto Longhi," the MFA introduces the Baroque + Bottle Book Club, a dynamic literary series that pairs contemporary fiction with the timeless themes of the Baroque. Presented in partnership with Book + Bottle, St. Pete’s beloved independent bookstore and wine bar, each gathering invites readers to dive into contemporary novels that echo the emotional intensity, moral tension, and timeless questions embedded in the Baroque movement. With expertly paired wines, lively, guided conversations, and exclusive in-gallery experiences, this series creates unexpected connections between the masterpieces on view and the pressing issues of today.
Baroque painters depicted the human body with unflinching honesty, portraying figures who were wounded, sensual, aged, and ecstatic. Sacred subjects were radically humanized for the first time in Western art, as Caravaggio and other Baroque artists emphasized the reality of dirty feet, lined faces, and visible scars.
This session turns to Carmen Maria Machado’s Her Body and Other Parties, to explore how contemporary literature examines how physical form is perceived, regulated, stigmatized, and celebrated. This daring collection of stories shatters genre boundaries while mapping the realities of women’s lives and the critical eye society places on their bodies. From eerie horror to dark comedy, Machado’s tales bend psychological realism, science fiction, and fabulism into narratives that are simultaneously unsettling, provocative, and deeply human.
What to Expect:
6:00–6:30 pm — Arrivals: grab a glass of wine and ease in with thought-starter prompts and casual conversation.
6:30–7:30 pm — Guided discussion led by Book + Bottle, exploring the book’s themes and connections to the Baroque.
7:30–8:00 pm — Gallery spotlight with MFA curators and educators: a focused look at a work from In Caravaggio’s Light to bring the conversation full circle.
Baroque + Bottle Book Club | Body + Perception
Thursday, February 19, 2026
6:00 PM–8:00 PM
Museum of Fine Arts, St. Petersburg
255 Beach Drive NE, St. Petersburg FL 33701
$25 for Members; $35 for Not-Yet-Members.
Tickets include program and 1 glass of wine. Additional wine available for purchase. A limited number of copies are available at the MFA Shop and at Book + Bottle! Get 10% off the next book on the night of each book club!
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Event Venue & Nearby Stays
255 Beach Dr NE, Saint Petersburg, FL, United States, Florida 33701, 255 Beach Dr NE, St Petersburg, FL 33701-3413, United States, St. Petersburg
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