In the year of 1606, Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio was accused of murder and fled Rome to escape the price placed on his head, where in his isolation he painted David with the Head of Goliath in 1610 (Bologna, 18). Prior to his painting of the biblical narrative, Caravaggio had already produced two paintings of the same subject, one in 1602, and the other in 1605. So the question remains – why did he paint yet another work of David and Goliath. To answer that question, one needs to know that Caravaggio used his own head for Goliath (Stone, 39). The painting was largely speculated to be a gift to Cardinal Borghese, a papal official with the power to grant pardons for murder, however, it has also been said that the painting could have also been a personal plea for mercy (Puglisi, 361). No longer does one see jubilant looks that are synonymous with victory, one now sees a pensive expression in the furrowed eyebrows of the hero David in one of the most miraculous battles in the old testament. In the gaze of this David, there seems to be little victory in the triumph over the villainous Goliath, only an expression of grief and empathy. As one directs their eyes to the blade on the bottom left hand corner of the work, what is noticeable is the creased fabric partially covering David’s bare chest that is tucked diagonally into his taupe pants. …show more content…
Additionally, this juxtaposition of light and shadow aids in the depiction of Naturalism, along with the choice of such humble garb. As David’s arm thrusts out into the foreground, with a firm grasp on Goliath’s head, one cannot help but notice yet another contrast against the kindness in David’s expression – Goliath’s face, a vile look with sinister