A man takes a picture of Caravaggio's Annunciation at a retrospective marking the 400th anniversary of the baroque artist's death. The exhibit opened Feb. 20 and was to close Sunday. (Gregorio Borgia/Associated Press)

A retrospective of works by baroque master Caravaggio at a downtown Rome venue has drawn so many people that officials decided to keep doors open non-stop over the weekend.

Officials at the Scuderie del Quirinale, an exhibition space that is part of Italy's presidential palace, said they wanted to relieve the long lineups in the sweltering heat as the exhibit draws to the end.

The display will end its four-month run on Sunday, so officials decided to keep the space open from Saturday at 9 a.m. until Sunday at 10 p.m.

Culture Commissioner Umberto Croppi said more than 10,000 people had already gone through the doors between Saturday and Sunday morning.

More than 30 works by Caravaggio are on display. His trademark "chiaroscuro" — dramatic dark-light contrasts — and groundbreaking use of realism are explored in the exhibit.

The exhibit comes some 400 years after the artist's death at age 38. Art experts credit Caravaggio with altering the history of art, influencing the styles of many artists after him, including Rubens and Rembrandt.

Famous works on view include St. John the Baptist, The Annunciation and Deposition.

With files from The Associated Press