Due to its bizarre and intricate design, the painting is said to display Caravaggio's unique fascination with violence and realism.

In July 1597, Caravaggio and his partner Prospero Orsi became involved as witnesses in a crime that occurred near San Luigi de' Francesi.

He told authorities that he liked dressing in dark attire to avoid drawing unnecessary attention to himself, which was also why he preferred to make late night trips.

I am entered on his household payroll.”[2] Caravaggio's paintings were never in tune with the idealized themes that were prevalent during the time period.

[2] This opportunity to paint the chapel gave him great advantage and a sense of motivation to incorporate more realism in his artworks.

It was named after poet Gaspare Murtola, who wrote of Medusa, "flee, for if your eyes are petrified in amazement, she will turn you to stone.

[7] Caravaggio replaced Medusa's face with his own, allowing him to position himself as being immune to her fatal gaze.

[10] Caravaggio chose to mount the canvas on a convex wooden shield because it would draw comparisons to the much-celebrated work of Leonardo da Vinci.

A well-known anecdote of the time stated that Leonardo's father had once asked him to decorate the surface of a shield.

In response, Leonardo had painted a "hybrid monster," combining the attributes of animals such as snakes, insects and lizards.