Young man crowned with vine leaves holding out a glass of red wine, with a full fruit bowl in the foreground

Bacchus

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What you see

A young man reclines, wrapped in white cloth that leaves one shoulder and his chest bare, and looks straight at us. A crown of vine leaves and dark grapes sits on his curly hair. One hand holds out a wide glass of red wine; the other fingers the black bow of his garment. A fruit bowl and a carafe of wine fill the foreground.

Pale skin and white cloth stand out against a plain olive background, and the leaves of his crown are already yellowing. The fruit bowl rewards a closer look: an apple with a hole in it, a split pomegranate, figs, quinces and grapes on the turn. Notice too the clear stem of the glass, which shows his fingers through it.

About Caravaggio

Michelangelo Merisi, called Caravaggio after his family’s home town, painted scenes as if they were happening on a dark stage lit by a spotlight. He used ordinary people from the street as models, which was very daring at the time. His use of light and shadow inspired painters all over Europe.

All 12 works by Caravaggio