Which Caravaggio painting at the Met shows young musicians?

The Caravaggio painting at the Met that shows young musicians is The Musicians.

Usually dated to about 1595–1597, the oil painting gathers four youthful figures into a tightly compressed scene. Three appear connected with music, while the fourth is Cupid, the winged Roman god of love, reaching toward grapes. The combination suggests an allegory linking music, pleasure, love, and nourishment.

The picture was commissioned by Cardinal Francesco Maria del Monte, an influential patron whose household valued music and the arts. Caravaggio used live models rather than idealized figures, a practice that helped give the young men their immediate, naturalistic presence. The figure with the lute is often identified as Mario Minniti, and the figure facing viewers may include a self-portrait reference.

Readers sometimes confuse this work with The Lute Player, another musical subject associated with Caravaggio and Cardinal del Monte. The Met’s painting is specifically The Musicians, recognizable by its group of youthful performers and Cupid.