Artwork
Self-Portrait as Bacchus
Self-Portrait as Bacchus is an oil painting by the Baroque artist Caravaggio. It dates from 1598 and is held in the collection of the Galleria Borghese.
About this work
Overview
Created between 1593 and 1594, this oil painting is an early self‑portrait by the Italian Baroque painter Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio. It is currently displayed in Rome’s Galleria Borghese and is known by several titles, including *Young Sick Bacchus* and *Self‑Portrait as Bacchus*.
Subject & Meaning
The work depicts a youthful figure seated at a table, clutching a bunch of grapes in his right hand while a wreath of leaves crowns his head. Additional fruit, such as peaches, rests on the tabletop. The sitter’s tan skin, dark curly hair, and calm gaze over his left shoulder convey a serene, contemplative mood, linking the image to the Roman god Bacchus.
Technique & Style
Caravaggio employed his characteristic chiaroscuro, setting the figure against a deep, almost black background that isolates the illuminated flesh and fruit. The brushwork renders the textures of skin, foliage, and fruit with a tactile realism that anticipates his later dramatic compositions.
History & Provenance
According to Giovanni Baglione, Caravaggio’s first biographer, the painting was executed as a cabinet piece using a mirror, suggesting a personal, intimate purpose. Over the centuries it entered the collection of the Borghese family, eventually becoming part of the public holdings of the Galleria Borghese.
Context
The portrait emerges from Caravaggio’s formative period in Rome, when he was absorbing the influence of naturalist trends and the Counter‑Reformation’s demand for relatable religious imagery. By portraying himself as Bacchus, he blends classical mythology with a personal, almost autobiographical gesture.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio (also Michele Angelo Merigi or Amerighi da Caravaggio; 29 September 1571 – 18 July 1610), known mononymously as Caravaggio, was an Italian painter active in Rome for most of his artistic life.
