Self Portrait as Sick Bacchus

Title: Self Portrait as Sick Bacchus

Artist: Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio

Location: Galleria Borghese

Date: 1593-94

Size: 67 cm × 53 cm

Medium: Oil on Canvas

Other Sources: http://www.caravaggio-foundation.org/biography.html

http://www.statemaster.com/encyclopedia/Young-Sick-Bacchus-(Caravaggio)

Photo form: http://www.abcgallery.com/C/caravaggio/caravaggio8.html

Significance of the work:

Self Portrait as Sick Bacchus is one of Caravaggio’s earliest work. It is generally accepted that it was painted during a period of serious illness. The reason behind Carvaggio’s decision to paint himself as the god of wine is unclear, but some have suggested that the roman element was a marketing technique that would appeal to prospective patrons who had an interest in the style of antiquity. After he recovered from this illness, Caravaggio moved to Rome in order to start a new life. Caravaggio met with great success in Rome, and his distinctive tenebristic style is easily identifiable even today.