Basket of Fruit

"Basket of Fruit" is a captivating still life painting by the renowned Italian Baroque artist Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio. This masterpiece is housed at the Biblioteca Ambrosiana in Milan. The painting features a wicker basket overflowing with summer fruits, each one meticulously depicted with natural imperfections such as wormholes, insect bites, and signs of decay.

Scholars often interpret this painting as a meditation on the fleeting nature of beauty and the inevitable decay of all things. Some even suggest it might serve as a metaphor for the Church. Intriguingly, an X-ray study revealed that Caravaggio created this work on a reused canvas that originally featured grotesque designs, likely in the style of his friend Prospero Orsi.

There is some debate about when exactly "Basket of Fruit" was painted, with estimates ranging from 1596 to 1601. Its presence in Cardinal Federico Borromeo's collection by 1607 adds to its intrigue, possibly alluding to the Book of Amos.

A particularly fascinating detail is that the basket in this painting closely resembles the one in Caravaggio's "Supper at Emmaus" hinting at a potential connection between the two works. The painting's stunning realism and use of trompe l'oeil—a technique that creates the illusion of three-dimensionality—contribute to its striking visual impact.