The Death of the Virgin

The Death of the Virgin , completed around 1605–1606 for Laerzio Cherubini, depicts the dead Virgin Mary surrounded by the Apostles and Mary Magdalene. Caravaggio virtually eliminates supernatural elements and presents Mary's death as a profoundly human experience. Her body rests upon a simple bed while the Apostles silently express their grief. In the foreground, Mary Magdalene sits bent forward, isolated in mourning.

A monumental red curtain dominates the upper part of the composition, while light penetrates the darkness and moves across the figures towards the Virgin's body. The radical naturalism of the scene departed markedly from conventional representations of Mary's death and glorification. The painting was rejected for its intended altar and became one of the major works of Caravaggio's final Roman period.