David with the Head of Goliath (Vienna)

Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio, c. 1606–1607

Oil on poplar panel, 90.5 × 116 cm

Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna

Room V · Flight and Naples (1606–1607)

David with the Head of Goliath (Vienna), Caravaggio, c. 1606–1607 — Image: Wikimedia Commons, public domain

David, sword resting on his shoulder, holds out the giant's head like a trophy, yet his look is absorbed rather than triumphant. It is the second of the three versions, painted on panel, a rare choice for Caravaggio.