Young Bacchus
from 1595 until 1597
Caravaggio’s young god of wine looks less like a divine figure and more like a teenager who’s had one too many at a party. Notice the slightly flushed cheeks and heavy-lidded eyes as he casually offers a glass of red wine, his white robe slipping off one shoulder. The fruit basket in the foreground is a masterpiece of gritty realism, featuring bruised apples and rotting leaves that hint at the fleeting nature of youth and pleasure. Legend has it the artist used a mirror to paint this, essentially creating a self-portrait of his own rebellious early years in Rome.
Location: Uffizi Gallery, Florence
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