Basket of FruitCaravaggio

This still life by Caravaggio (c. 1596) centers a wicker basket overflowing with apples, grapes, figs, and leaves against a bare wall. Imperfect fruit and curling, insect-bitten foliage emphasize close observation of natural detail. The contrast between ripe and decaying elements turns a simple tabletop arrangement into a meditation on mortality and the fragility of beauty.