Saint Matthew and the Angel [SEP] collection
Saint Matthew and the Angel
Saint Matthew and the Angel (1602) is a painting from the Italian master Caravaggio (1571–1610), completed for the Contarelli Chapel in the church of San Luigi dei Francesi in Rome. It was destroyed in 1945 and is now known only from black-and-white photographs and enhanced color reproductions.
Style.
Caravaggio was known for painting very realistically, using models instead of standard convention and idealization. He made his figures lifelike and relatable, as opposed to portraying unrealistic or phony
patron, you can still see his own style under the more refined subject of Saint Matthew.
History.
Saint Matthew and the Angel was completed in 1602. A part of the collection of the former Kaiser Friedrich Museum, it was destroyed by fire at the end of World War II while stored in an anti-aircraft bunker in Berlin. This work, by a pillar of the Baroque movement, might have provided new information about the artist and patron. Reproductions of the original still survive.
Commission.