Boy Bitten by a Lizard

Caravaggio painted Boy Bitten by a Lizard around 1594, one of his earliest Roman works. The painting captures a young man recoiling in shock as a lizard bites his finger from among a vase of flowers. The subject has been interpreted as an allegory of the pain hidden within pleasure, with the beautiful flowers and fruit concealing the dangerous creature. The work established Caravaggio's reputation for startling naturalism and psychological intensity.

The painting demonstrates Caravaggio's extraordinary ability to capture a fleeting moment of expression, with the boy's face contorted in surprise and pain. The still-life elements, including the glass vase with flowers and the bowl of fruit, are rendered with remarkable trompe-l'oeil precision.