Michelangelo Caravaggio

This painting is called Narcissus (1597 – 1599), by Michelangelo Caravaggio. Caravaggio is a genius when it comes to using deep black to contrast his figures. The figures pop off the canvas and make you feel like they are in your actual presence. This painting jumped out at me for this very reason, and the reflection of the man in the water really shows something deeper going on here. The man in the reflection seems to appear in a lot worse shape than the man gazing. His skin seems darkened as well as his face and shirt. To me this reflection represents the man looking into himself, and revealing what he truly feels on the inside.