David with the Head of Goliath
c. 1610 · Oil on canvas · Galleria Borghese, Rome
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About this work
- Artist
- Caravaggio (1571–1610)
- Year
- c. 1610
- Medium
- Oil on canvas
- Original size
- 125 × 101 cm
- Collection
- Galleria Borghese, Rome
- Movement
- Baroque
A young David holds out the severed head of Goliath at arm's length and looks at it with pity rather than triumph; the giant's face, mouth open and one eye dimmed, is Caravaggio's own. He painted it in Naples around 1610, the last year of his life, while under a death sentence for a killing in Rome, and sent it to Cardinal Scipione Borghese, the papal nephew who could obtain his pardon, so that the artist's head is offered to the one man who could save it. The sword bears an abbreviated inscription usually read as humility conquers pride. The light falls from the upper left on David's chest and arm and the rest is swallowed in darkness. It has been in the Borghese collection in Rome since the painter's death.
This print reproduces the whole work, uncropped, from a high-resolution scan of the original. The original is in the public domain.
Where it works
A boy holding out a severed head against total darkness, in flesh tones, white linen and black, a sombre painting for a study, library or hallway at 24×36 in black. Charcoal, deep brown or dark green walls suit the chiaroscuro; pair it with Narcissus.
Style, size & framing detail
- Style
- Baroque painting
- Era
- 17th century (c. 1610)
- Orientation
- Portrait
- Mood
- grand
- Rooms
- hallway or entryway, study or library, living room, dining room
- Good gift for
- housewarming, art lovers
Size. We'd hang this one at 24×36. Prints at 12×18, 16×24, 24×36 in — 12×18 for a shelf, desk or a gallery-wall grid; 16×24 above a desk, console or in a hallway; 24×36 as the statement piece above a sofa or bed.
Framing. The gallery ground is part of the print, so frame it without a mat — black suits the deep tones of this period; natural wood lightens it.
Pairing. Pairs as a set of three with other famous painting prints (10% off three or more).
Details & materials
Shipping & returns
Is this the whole painting, or a crop?
Is David with the Head of Goliath in the public domain?
What is it printed on?
When was David with the Head of Goliath painted, and in what medium?
What size works above a sofa or bed?
About this design
The Madten promise
An exhibition poster
The same artwork as a gallery exhibition poster — title, artist & date typeset beneath the image on a soft ground.
