it came to be there (and this is the first recorded mention of its existence) is open to speculation, but Barberini is known to have bought up part of the collection of Cardinal Francesco Maria Del Monte, Caravaggio's first patron, when the cardinal died in 1627 . It may therefore have been a private work for Del Monte. Another possibility is that in 1644 Cardinal Antonio Barberini inherited the Still Life with Fruit on a Stone Ledge from his uncle, Pope Urban VIII, who was the greatest patron of the Roman Baroque and an avid art collector. It is documented that in 1603, while he was still a cardinal, Urban VIII acquired a number of paintings directly from Caravaggio. The Still Life with Fruit on a Stone Ledge could easily have been one of these. It shares the same dimensions and the same palette as the Sacrifice of Isaac now at the Uffizi, which is known to have been part of this group and which dates from the same period in Caravaggio's career. See also The Sacrifice of Isaac (Caravaggio) List of paintings by Caravaggio References Caravaggio's Fruit http://www.sothebys.com/en/auctions/ecatalogue/2013/old-master-paintings-n08952/lot.29.lotnum.html http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/700941565 External links 1600s paintings Paintings by Caravaggio Paintings in the Borghese Collection Still life paintings