Why it matters
A youthful Bacchus, crowned with vine leaves, loosens his robe and offers the viewer a glass of wine. Caravaggio paints not only the god but a boy dressed up as him, and the rotting fruit in the bowl hints that youth and pleasure fade.
Did you know?
- It was painted around 1596.
- It was commissioned by Cardinal Francesco Maria del Monte.
- The fruit bowl includes a bursting pomegranate and a rotting apple.
Based on the Wikipedia article Bacchus (Caravaggio) (CC BY-SA 4.0).
