Narcissus

Narcissus is a painting by the Italian Baroque master Caravaggio, circa 1597-1599. It is housed in the Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Antica in Rome. The attribution of this painting to Caravaggio has been discussed at length, and it is still questioned by some scholars. There are no contemporary sources to refer to, and the attribution rests entirely on stylistic bases. The theory that the picture is by Caravaggio might be confirmed by an export lice... more

Narcissus is a painting by the Italian Baroque master Caravaggio, circa 1597-1599. It is housed in the Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Antica in Rome. The attribution of this painting to Caravaggio has been discussed at length, and it is still questioned by some scholars. There are no contemporary sources to refer to, and the attribution rests entirely on stylistic bases. The theory that the picture is by Caravaggio might be confirmed by an export license dating to 1645, referring to a Narcissus by Caravaggio of similar measurements to this canvas. While it is difficult to propose with absolute certainty a secure connection between the document and the present canvas, several major Caravaggio scholars have reconsidered the issue, accepted the link between the license and the painting, and confirmed the autograph quality of the work. Analysis of the details of execution (carried out as part of a recent restoration), stylistic comparison to other works of Caravaggio, and the iconographic... less