The following is a comparative analysis of Caravaggio's Musicians from the Italian Baroque period and Watteau's Mezzetin from the Rococo period. Although both paintings depict a scene or event from everyday life or a genre scene, the latter was painted more recently in the modern era and differs considerably. The main differences become evident in the style of the painters and their personal representations of the subjects. The works illustrate the evolution of a certain genre in Western painting from the Renaissance to the modern era. This transformation exemplifies how a similar topic can be represented in a completely new and innovative way. Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio painted the genre scene painting titled The Musicians during the Italian Baroque period in 1595. The painting depicts four boys in classical costume. The figures are clearly outlined and the contours are particularly reminiscent of the Renaissance tradition. The fourth boy on the left is Cupid, leaning towards a bunch of grapes. Cupid is often depicted in musical scenes and also represents love. Grapes symbolize wine, representing enjoyment in the presence of music. However, they can also be seen as representatives of Bacchus, the god of wine and debauchery. In this light the scene can be seen as erotic. The figures are semi-draped, representing sensuality and passion for music. The scene is clearly secular in nature, establishing a very realistic scene that could occur during everyday life. Scenes depicting musicians were popular at the time, as the Church supported the revival of music, new styles and forms. However, this scene is particularly different from the previous ones. Instead of painting women with a cup......center of paper......Works Cited"Mezzetin | Antoine Watteau | Collections Database | Works of Art | The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York." Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York: metmuseum.org. Np, nd Web. 14 April 2011. "The Musicians | Caravaggio (Michelangelo Merisi) | Collections Database | Works of Art | Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York." Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York: metmuseum.org. Np, nd Web. April 14. 2011. .