Every canvas is painted to order, so the quote follows your size, frame and destination rather than a fixed list. Tell us what you need on WhatsApp and we reply with an exact figure, usually within the hour. You deal directly with the studio that paints it — no reseller layer.
Popular canvas sizes
Every Caravaggio's Narcissus — Hand-Painted Oil Reproduction we paint is made to order, so you choose the canvas. These are the sizes our customers ask for most:
| Size (inches) | Size (cm) | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| 16 × 12 in | 40 × 30 cm | A shelf, a small wall, a gallery group |
| 20 × 16 in | 50 × 40 cm | Bedroom, hallway, above a console |
| 24 × 20 in | 60 × 50 cm | Study, home office, above a desk |
| 30 × 24 in | 76 × 61 cm | Dining room, bedroom feature wall |
| 32 × 24 in | 81 × 61 cm | Living room, above a sideboard |
| 40 × 30 in | 102 × 76 cm | Living room focal wall, above a sofa |
| 48 × 36 in | 122 × 91 cm | Large living room, stairwell, loft |
| 64 × 48 in | 163 × 122 cm | Villa scale, lobby, hospitality wall |
Custom sizes are welcome — if your wall needs something between these, or larger, say so and we will quote it. Framing and shipping are quoted separately. Duties and import taxes are the buyer's responsibility (DAP).
Tell us your size and frame — we reply with an exact quote, usually within the hour.
💬 Get a Narcissus Quote on WhatsAppWhy the reflection is the painting — and the hardest part to copy
The reflection is not a copy of the figure: it is the figure translated into water — darker, bluer, slightly bent, with the pool's surface dragging it. Paint it as a straight mirror image and the illusion dies; paint it as a separate object and it stops being water. That translation, done with a brush in translucent darks over a warm ground, is the whole trick.
Caravaggio's darkness is the same problem as his other Roman works: blacks that must stay transparent rather than turning to mud. Our painters keep the shadows thin and warm, then place the highlights — brow, hand, knee, the glint on the water — last and thick. The canvas reads as a lit stage in a dark room, which is exactly how it behaves in the original.
There is a test we encourage buyers to use on any "oil painting" they are offered: run a fingernail very gently across the surface. A hand-painted canvas feels like terrain. A print feels like glass.
The painting itself
It is first recorded in the Barberini collection in the seventeenth century and now hangs in the Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Antica in Rome. Attribution has been argued over for a century, but the quality of the observation — the wet hair, the strain in the outstretched hand — has never been in doubt. The myth ends with Narcissus wasting to nothing beside the pool; Caravaggio paints only the moment before.
The original is a vertical 110 × 92 cm. At 60 × 80 cm it is a striking piece for a study, hall or modern interior, and its near-symmetry suits a space seen head-on.
How our painters reproduce it
Our studio is in Dafen Oil Painting Village, Shenzhen — the centre of hand-painted oil reproduction for more than thirty years. A Narcissus here is not traced, projected or transferred. The painter works freehand from a high-resolution reference, in layers:
- Composition and ground. The canvas is toned and the main forms laid out in a thin underpainting, matching the original proportions to your chosen size.
- Colour build-up. The palette is mixed in oil, not acrylic — only oil gives the same depth, slow blending and the slightly translucent glow the original depends on.
- Impasto and surface passes. The signature strokes go on last, loaded with paint, following the direction of the original's brushwork. This is the slowest and most skilful stage.
- Drying and inspection. Layered oil needs days to set properly. We let it. Then the finished canvas is checked against the reference for colour, composition and stroke character.
Where it hangs best
A boy and his reflection, folded together like a playing card — the darkest mirror in art. Rooms our customers choose most often:
- Study or library — literary, dark, intelligent
- Hallway or entrance — the symmetry stops people walking
- Modern or minimalist living room
- Hospitality — lounges, bars and restaurants with moody lighting
Framing
Choose gold to echo the original's warmth, matte black for a contemporary room, walnut for a traditional interior, or no frame at all as a gallery-wrap canvas ready to hang. Frames are quoted separately and packed with corner protection.
How ordering works
- Tell us the painting, size and frame. WhatsApp is fastest — include a wall photo if you want sizing advice.
- Get an exact quote. Usually within the hour, with the timeline confirmed in writing.
- 70% deposit starts the painting. Paid by bank transfer, PayPal, credit card or Wise.
- We send photographs of the finished painting. You review it before anything ships. If something clearly does not match your order notes, tell us and we adjust it.
- Pay the 30% balance, then we ship. Tracked worldwide courier, rolled in a rigid tube or crated if framed.
FAQ
Is this hand-painted or printed?
100% hand-painted in oil on artist canvas by a studio painter in Dafen. No printing, no transfer, no giclée. You can feel the brushwork on the surface.
How much does it cost?
Tell us the size and frame you have in mind and we will quote it exactly — the figure depends on canvas size, frame choice and shipping destination. Frame and shipping quoted separately.
Can I order a size that is not on the list?
Yes — any size. The painter works freehand on a blank canvas, so we can also crop the composition slightly to fit your wall proportions.
How do I approve it before shipping?
We send photographs of the finished painting. You approve first, then pay the 30% balance and we ship. If something clearly does not match your order notes, tell us and we adjust it before it leaves.
How long does it take?
Most take 2–4 weeks depending on size and the studio queue. Layered oil needs proper drying time. The timeline is confirmed in writing before any deposit.
Who pays import duty?
Shipping is worldwide and tracked, typically DHL or FedEx, quoted separately. Import duties and taxes in your country are the buyer's responsibility (DAP).
Ready to commission a real Narcissus? Send the size and frame — quote back within the hour.
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