Narcissus

40”x30” Oil on Canvas

Inspired by Caravaggio

By Julian Centofante

INQUIRE ABOUT THIS PAINTING

The myth of Narcissus is one of vanity and consequence. In Greek mythology, he was a young man obsessed with his own beauty, who proudly rejected the hearts of those who loved him. Echo loved him most of all, and when he turned her away, her heartbreak was so complete that she wasted into nothing but a voice. For his cruelty, the gods punished him with the very thing he prized - his own reflection.

While hunting, he came across a still pool of water and became caught in his own gaze. He stayed until he died there, and in his place grew the flower that bears his name.

Caravaggios Version depicts this story vividly. The composition is nearly a circle of light and dark as he leans over the dark pool with his hands braced against the edge. My version maintains that composition but plugs in a native figure, wearing only moccasins and a loin cloth. This reimagining of Caravaggio's Narcissus exemplifies my goal of reinterpreting classic masterpieces with American figures. These stories retain their powerful messages regardless of who tells them, or where and when they unfold.