David and Goliath

David kneels on the fallen giant and binds the hair of the severed head with a cord, calmly, like someone tying up a parcel. His own face is in shadow.

X-rays have shown that Caravaggio first painted Goliath's face with wide open eyes and a screaming mouth, and then toned it down. What remains is quieter and stranger: the work after the victory.