Once again, the human form challenges me. In this painting I wanted to convey something of the internal, emotional fervor of this model. I wonder if he is full of regret or full of imagination? The necklace intrigues me even now because I can remember sort of an abstract form which resembled a figure or some symbol which I cannot recall. The deep shadows produced by limited lighting in my dark room seem to me to push the body forward. Caravaggio was a great innovator with deep shadows and I'm sure my study of him has influenced this painting.