David with the Head of Goliath

Goliath’s face is the painter’s own

David holds out the severed head of the giant Goliath, gripping it by the hair. The head is heavy, the mouth open, the eyes half closed, one already lifeless. Blood drips from the neck.

The Galleria Borghese, which owns the painting, notes that the head of Goliath is widely read as a self-portrait of Caravaggio. Its features match his known likeness: dark hair, heavy brows, beard. The painter shows himself as the defeated and decapitated giant.

David does not celebrate

David is a young man, bare-chested, emerging from deep shadow. He looks down at the head with an expression that is closer to sadness or pity than to triumph. His brow is lightly furrowed, his mouth closed.

In most images of the story, David is victorious and proud. Caravaggio’s David seems to reflect on what he has done. That change of mood is the key to the painting.

A firm grip on the hair

David’s outstretched arm brings the head towards us, into the light. His fist is tight in Goliath’s hair, and the pale skin of the arm stands out against the black background.

The composition is simple: a diagonal from David’s face down his arm to the head. Nothing in the background distracts. Light and dark do all the work.

An inscription on the blade

In his other hand, David holds a sword, its blade catching light at the lower left. Letters on the blade have been read as an abbreviation of a Latin phrase, often interpreted as “humility kills pride,” a reading the Galleria Borghese also mentions.

If that reading is right, the inscription supports a moral interpretation: the humble shepherd boy defeats the proud giant. Combined with the self-portrait, it suggests a painter casting himself as the one who deserves punishment.

A late work, perhaps a plea

Caravaggio fled Rome in 1606 after killing a man in a brawl and spent his last years moving between Naples, Malta and Sicily. The Galleria Borghese’s catalogue notes that scholars disagree on the date, either 1606 to 1607 or 1609 to 1610, and that it was probably painted in Naples.

The painting entered the collection of Cardinal Scipione Borghese, an influential patron in Rome. A common theory holds that Caravaggio sent it to help win a papal pardon. He died in 1610 on his way back towards Rome, still hoping for that pardon.

David and Goliath

The First Book of Samuel tells how the young shepherd David faced the Philistine giant Goliath, who had challenged the army of Israel. David refused armour and went with only a sling and five stones. He struck Goliath on the forehead with a stone, then cut off his head with the giant’s own sword. David later became king of Israel.

The story was a favourite of Italian artists, from Donatello and Michelangelo to Bernini. Usually David was shown as a triumphant hero. Caravaggio shows him differently.

A David without triumph

Caravaggio’s David does not celebrate. He holds out the head almost reluctantly, looking at it with an expression of sadness or pity. The light falls on his young face and on the dead face of Goliath, connecting them. The mood is not victory but reflection on death and guilt.

A plea for pardon?

In 1606, Caravaggio killed a man in Rome during a fight and was sentenced to death. He fled to Naples, Malta and Sicily. Many historians believe this painting was sent to Cardinal Scipione Borghese, the pope’s nephew, as part of an effort to obtain a papal pardon. If Goliath’s face is a self-portrait, the painter shows himself as a severed head, offering his life in repentance.

The sword carries letters that have been read as an abbreviation of a Latin motto meaning “humility kills pride,” which would fit this reading. The interpretation is widely accepted but not certain.

Who was David?

The model for David is unknown. Some have suggested he was Caravaggio’s young assistant, sometimes called Cecco. The idea that the painter used his own face for Goliath and a young companion for David adds a personal dimension to the scene.

Where to see it

David with the Head of Goliath hangs in the Galleria Borghese in Rome. Caravaggio painted other versions of the subject, including one in the Prado in Madrid and one in the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna. Our hand-painted oil reproduction follows this composition. For more masterpieces, explore our top 100 most famous paintings.

Questions about David with the Head of Goliath

Is Goliath a self-portrait?

The head of Goliath is widely read as a self-portrait of Caravaggio, as the Galleria Borghese notes.

Where is the original?

Galleria Borghese, Rome (inv. 455).

When was it painted?

Dates proposed are 1606 to 1607 or 1609 to 1610. It belongs to Caravaggio’s final years.

How large is it?

125 × 101 centimetres, oil on canvas.

Why might Caravaggio have painted his own face as Goliath?

Possibly as a sign of repentance, while seeking a pardon for a killing in 1606.

Are there other versions?

Yes, including ones in the Prado, Madrid, and the Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna.

Sources and image credit

• Galleria Borghese collection: David with the Head of Goliath
• Galleria Borghese: David with the Head of Goliath
• Wikimedia Commons: David with the Head of Goliath

Faithful public-domain reproduction of David with the Head of Goliath, via Wikimedia Commons. Detail images are crops of the same historical painting; no reconstruction or upscaling.