{"product_id":"david-with-the-head-of-goliath-caravaggio","title":"David with the Head of Goliath - Caravaggio","description":"\u003cp\u003eA late masterpiece by Caravaggio, this painting uses dramatic chiaroscuro to depict a contemplative David with the severed head of Goliath.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCaravaggio painted this work during the final months of his life. It depicts the biblical hero David holding the severed head of the giant Goliath. The composition relies on the artist's signature chiaroscuro, a technique that uses extreme contrasts between light and shadow to define form and create a sense of volume. The background is almost entirely obscured by darkness, which forces the viewer to focus on the figures.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDavid is shown as a youth, his expression marked by a mixture of sorrow and contemplation rather than triumph. The head of Goliath is widely considered a self-portrait of the artist, reflecting his own turbulent life and his search for papal pardon. The sword held by David bears the inscription H-AS OS, which is often interpreted as an abbreviation for the Latin phrase humilitas occidit superbiam, meaning humility kills pride.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe painting is housed in the Galleria Borghese in Rome. It represents the late period of Caravaggio's career, where his brushwork became more economical and his psychological approach more introspective. The physical presence of the figures is achieved through a limited palette of earth tones, ochres, and whites, which emerge from the void of the canvas. This work is a primary example of the tenebrism that defined the Roman Baroque style, influencing generations of painters across Europe who adopted his dramatic use of light to convey emotional weight.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"margin-top:2rem;padding-top:1.5rem;border-top:1px solid #e5e5e5;\"\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"font-size:0.85rem;color:#888;font-weight:600;margin:0 0 0.75rem;text-transform:uppercase;letter-spacing:0.05em;\"\u003eYou might also like\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"display:flex;flex-wrap:wrap;gap:0.5rem;\"\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"\/products\/portrait-of-charles-i-of-england-anthony-van-dyck\" style=\"display:inline-block;background:#f8f9fa;border:1px solid #e5e5e5;border-radius:20px;padding:0.35rem 0.85rem;font-size:0.8rem;color:#2a555a;font-weight:500;text-decoration:none !important;background-image:none !important;\"\u003ePortrait of Charles I of England - Anthony van Dyck — Anthony van Dyck\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"\/products\/pastoral-landscape-with-the-ponte-molle-claude-lorrain\" style=\"display:inline-block;background:#f8f9fa;border:1px solid #e5e5e5;border-radius:20px;padding:0.35rem 0.85rem;font-size:0.8rem;color:#2a555a;font-weight:500;text-decoration:none !important;background-image:none !important;\"\u003ePastoral Landscape with the Ponte Molle - Claude Lorrain — Claude Lorrain\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Caravaggio","offers":[{"title":"Fine Art Poster \/ A4 (21x29.7 cm) \/ -","offer_id":58334921425231,"sku":null,"price":28.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Poster \/ A3 (29.7 x 42  cm) \/ -","offer_id":58334927618383,"sku":null,"price":35.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Poster \/ A2 (42 x 59.4  cm) \/ -","offer_id":58334927651151,"sku":null,"price":45.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Framed \/ A4 (21x29.7 cm) \/ Black frame","offer_id":58334927683919,"sku":null,"price":45.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Framed \/ A4 (21x29.7 cm) \/ Wood frame","offer_id":58334927716687,"sku":null,"price":45.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Framed \/ A4 (21x29.7 cm) \/ Dark wood frame","offer_id":58334927749455,"sku":null,"price":45.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Framed \/ A3 (29.7 x 42  cm) \/ Black frame","offer_id":58334927782223,"sku":null,"price":60.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Framed \/ A3 (29.7 x 42  cm) \/ Wood frame","offer_id":58334927814991,"sku":null,"price":60.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Framed \/ A3 (29.7 x 42  cm) \/ Dark wood frame","offer_id":58334927847759,"sku":null,"price":60.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Framed \/ A2 (42 x 59.4  cm) \/ Black frame","offer_id":58334927880527,"sku":null,"price":90.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Framed \/ A2 (42 x 59.4  cm) \/ Wood frame","offer_id":58334927913295,"sku":null,"price":90.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Framed \/ A2 (42 x 59.4  cm) \/ Dark wood frame","offer_id":58334927946063,"sku":null,"price":90.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0833\/9292\/1935\/files\/David-with-the-Head-of-Goliath_Poster_CompositorV1_1785283755782.jpg?v=1785284158","url":"https:\/\/www.solisprints.co.uk\/products\/david-with-the-head-of-goliath-caravaggio","provider":"Solis Prints","version":"1.0","type":"link"}