Narcissus
1597-1599
Painted around 1597, this Baroque masterpiece shows Narcissus kneeling by a stream, entranced by his own image. Caravaggio uses extreme chiaroscuro—sharp contrasts of light and dark—to make the boy's white shirt and pale skin glow against the pitch-black background. The water line cuts the canvas in half, creating a perfect, closed circle of obsession between the boy and his reflection. It’s a psychological study of vanity, depicting the moment the mythological figure realizes he can never possess the beautiful image staring back at him—essentially the world's first deadly selfie.
- Technique
- Oil painting
- Material
- Canvas
Location: Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Antica, Rome
Views: 7
Favorites: 1