The Borghese Corpus
The Galleria Borghese holds six paintings by Caravaggio — more than any other public collection in the world. This concentration is not coincidental: Cardinal Scipione Borghese was Caravaggio's most important patron and protector in Rome, and obtained the works through both direct commissions and by exploiting the painter's legal difficulties.
The six paintings span almost the entire career of the painter, from early works of the 1590s to the final works of 1609–1610, when Caravaggio had fled Rome after a killing.
1. Sick Bacchus (~1593–1594)
One of the earliest documented paintings by Caravaggio, probably a self-portrait in disguise as Bacchus. The young god of wine looks anything but triumphant: pale, with bluish lips, a withered bunch of grapes in his hands. The realism is already Caravaggio's mature realism: not the ideal god, but a street model immortalised in a moment of illness.
The painting was in the collection of Giuseppe Cesari d'Arpino and was confiscated along with the others in 1607.
2. Boy with a Basket of Fruit (~1593–1594)
From the same period as Sick Bacchus. An adolescent holds a basket of fruit with wilting leaves and partly spoiled fruit — a vanitas theme, time passing even in abundance. The face is luminous, the gesture natural. The attention to naturalistic details (every leaf, every imperfection in the fruit) is already fully Caravaggesque.
3. Madonna of the Palafrenieri (1605–1606)
This work was commissioned by the Confraternity of the Apostolic Palafrenieri for their chapel in Saint Peter's in the Vatican. It was delivered in 1606 and immediately rejected as improper: the Virgin lifts her dress to show her bare foot as she crushes the serpent, assisted by the infant Jesus, under the gaze of Saint Anne.
The rejection was motivated by the overly corporeal representation of the Virgin and the unwieldy presence of Saint Anne — elderly, withered, irreducibly human. Scipione Borghese purchased the painting two days after the refusal.
4. Saint Jerome Writing (1605)
Caravaggio portrays the Doctor of the Church in the act of translating the Bible into Latin. The composition is spare: an old man bent over a book, a candle, a skull — the symbols of the scholar and of vanity. The arm extended towards the page is one of the most convincing gestures in mature Caravaggio: not a rhetorical gesture, but the real gesture of someone writing.
5. Saint John the Baptist (1610)
One of the last works, probably painted in Naples or Malta shortly before the painter's death (1610). The young John is depicted at rest, a ram beside him, a contemplative expression on his face. The red of the cloak and the light cutting through the figure from darkness are the stylistic hallmarks of Caravaggio's last phase: freer brushwork, simpler composition, a growing sense of melancholy.
6. David with the Head of Goliath (1609–1610)
The most enigmatic work. David holds the severed head of Goliath by the hair — and that face is a self-portrait of Caravaggio. The painter represents himself as the defeated giant, the severed head, the eyes still open.
It is a work of self-accusation and a plea for mercy: Caravaggio was in exile after killing Ranuccio Tomassoni in 1606. He sent the painting to Scipione Borghese as a silent imploration for forgiveness and permission to return to Rome. The pardon never came — Caravaggio died in 1610 on his way back north.
Where to Find Them
The six works are distributed on the ground floor and upper floor:
- Room VIII: Sick Bacchus, Boy with a Basket of Fruit
- Room IX: Madonna of the Palafrenieri, David with the Head of Goliath, Saint Jerome Writing, Saint John the Baptist
With a Private Driver
Reach the Galleria Borghese with a private driver. From your hotel, airport or station — direct and on time. Service from €49. → Book at myromedriver.com
Frequently Asked Questions
How many Caravaggios are at the Galleria Borghese? Six paintings — the highest number in the world in a single publicly accessible collection.
Why did Caravaggio send the David to Scipione Borghese? It was a silent plea for forgiveness: Caravaggio had been in exile since 1606 after killing a man, and was seeking protection to return to Rome.
Why was the Madonna of the Palafrenieri rejected? Because of the overly corporeal representation of the Virgin and the un-idealised presence of Saint Anne, considered improper by the original commission.
Article no. 163 — TIER S — MON-09 Galleria Borghese Type: HISTORICAL Words: ~750