Italian artist Caravaggio’s painting “The Incredulity of St. Thomas” features his characteristic use of chiaroscuro, or the dramatic use of light and shadow. But what is most remarkable about the image is not only the artist’s rendering of the scene but also the subject matter itself: St. Thomas leans towards Christ, poking at his flesh in disbelief of Christ’s resurrection.

On Friday afternoon, Columbia’s Italian Academy hosted a symposium titled “Competing Truths: Art and the Objects of History after the Council of Trent.” Friday’s roundtable discussion was part of a two-day conference held in conjunction with the Frick Art Reference Library at Columbia, while Saturday’s panel of museum professionals and scholars was held at the Frick Collection.