The Inspiration of Saint Matthew
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| The Inspiration of Saint Matthew | |
|---|---|
| Italian: San Matteo e angelo | |
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| Artist | Caravaggio |
| Year | 1602 |
| Medium | Oil on canvas |
| Dimensions | 292 cm × 186 cm (115 in × 73 in) |
| Location | San Luigi dei Francesi, Rome |
The Inspiration of Saint Matthew (1602) is a painting by the
It is one of three Caravaggio canvases in the chapel: hanging between the larger earlier canvases of
Creation
In February 1602, following the installation of his first two pieces in the chapel, Caravaggio was contracted to create an altarpiece, to be delivered by Pentecost of that year. The first painting he created, Saint Matthew and the Angel, was rejected and later destroyed in World War II.[1]
The Inspiration of Saint Matthew was finished rather quickly, with Caravaggio receiving payment by September 1602.[2]
Description
In the work featured on the altar, the angel belongs to an aerial and sublime dimension, enveloped in an encircling rippled sheet. The restless Matthew leans to work, as the angel enumerates for him the work to come. All is darkness but for the two large figures. Matthew appears to have rushed to his desk, his stool teetering into our space. His expression is sober.
See also
Further reading
- Jürgen Müller, Das geöffnete Buch. Caravaggios Altargemälde ‚Die Inspiration des Evangelisten Matthäus durch den Engel‘ in der Contarelli-Kapelle und die Laienlektüre der Bibel, in: Kunstgeschichte. Open Peer Reviewed Journal, 2021 [1]
References
- ^ "St Matthew and the Angel by CARAVAGGIO". www.wga.hu. Retrieved 2023-02-22.
- ^ "The Inspiration of Saint Matthew by CARAVAGGIO". www.wga.hu. Retrieved 2023-02-22.
External links
Media related to Saint Matthew and the angel by Caravaggio at Wikimedia Commons
