Boy with a Basket of Fruit

Boy with a Basket of Fruit, painted approximately between 1593 and 1595, belongs to the early Roman period of Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio. The painting depicts a half-length young man holding a large basket overflowing with fruit and leaves, rendered with extraordinary attention to their forms, textures and natural imperfections.

The young man turns slightly towards the viewer and holds the basket with both hands. His white shirt slips from one shoulder, while the inclination of his head and his facial expression give the figure an immediate and natural presence. Rejecting the idealisation common in much contemporary painting, Caravaggio presents his model as a real individual observed directly from life.

Light plays an essential role, modelling the young man's face and body while simultaneously revealing the forms and textures of the fruit.