Boy Bitten by a Lizard
ca. 1894-1596
Caravaggio freezes a split-second of pure shock in this dramatic Baroque scene. A young boy with a white rose tucked behind his curly hair recoils in pain as a lizard bites his finger, his mouth hanging open in a silent gasp. In the foreground, a glass vase holds wilting flowers and rotting fruit, serving as a 'memento mori' that earthly pleasures are fleeting and dangerous. There are actually two versions of this painting—one in London and one in Florence—leading art historians to endlessly debate which one Caravaggio painted first.
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