Prime Version of Caravaggio's Boy Peeling Fruit?
June 6 2025
Picture: Finestresullarte.info
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
Both finestresullarte.info and elpais.com have reported on news that Gianni Papi, an Italian scholar on the 17th century who focuses on the works of Caravaggio (widely consulted in the art trade too), has found the original or prime version of Caravaggio's much repeated Boy Peeling Fruit. The work was apparently sold at auction 'in northern Europe' in 2024 and new x-rays purport to show that the artist had originally painted in a small dog to the scene (near where the boy's hands, fruit and shirt meet) which was later covered over. Follow the links for the full story.
For a backstory regarding this composition, here is Bendor's blog post from 2015 regarding a version that was offered for sale at Christie's (but didn't sell).
Update - A reader has very kindly been in touch with the following sale of an 'after' Caravaggio copy that made €135,000 at Horta in Belgium back in January 2024. Might this be the resurfaced picture?
