Caravaggio - Boy bitten by a Lizard 1594-1595
Boy bitten by a Lizard 1594-1595
66x49cm oil/canvas
The National Gallery, Trafalgar Square, London, UK
The image is only being used for informational and educational purposes
<< Previous G a l l e r y Next >>
From National Gallery, London:
A young boy recoils in pain as his finger is bitten by a lizard, hidden among the fruit. A magnificent still life stands between him and us. The glass vase holds a rose and a sprig of jasmine, while red, succulent cherries lie beside the vase. Note the reflection of a room painted in the curving contour of the glass. It's most unusual for a late 16th-century painting to show a figure so realistically in a moment of action, and for a still life to be so prominent.
The subject of this painting may have an allegorical meaning, and possibly refers to the pain that can derive from love.