Lecture 29: Caravaggio
during World War II. This rendition was rejected because of St. Matthew’s
plebian characteristics and the physical closeness between the angel and
Matthew. The replacement shows Matthew elegantly dressed, with the angel
not directly in contact with him.Caravaggio painted larger lateral narrative scenes from the life of St.
Matthew for the chapel, including the Calling of St. Matthew, which shows
Matthew, the tax collector, being called by Jesus to be one of his disciples.
The tax of¿ ce has light falling through an unseen window at right, while
the window with the swinging shutter is covered with what may be oilskin.
Matthew is at the center of the table, and there is an elderly accountant, a
boy counting coins, and two young dandies. Christ and St. Peter enter from
the right; note their positions, their hands, and the accompanying light.
Caravaggio used light and dark to dramatize the story. Note Christ’s hand.
Caravaggio probably borrowed this from Michelangelo because it echoes the
hand of God in the Creation of Adam, but it doesn’t have the same tension.
Instead, it has the lassitude of Adam’s hand in the Creation. God’s hand is
¿ rm, his fore¿ nger straight, where Jesus’ hand, like Adam’s, is relaxed. This
borrowing seems intentional, because Jesus can be seen as the second Adam,
come to redeem the Fall from grace. Caravaggio has referred to the Sistine
Creation of Man with the thoughtfulness of a Counter-Reformation artist
who knew theological concepts well.Let’s look closer at the Martyrdom of St. Matthew, a complex painting.
The ¿ gures rush away from the center scene, where Matthew is about
to be martyred, while an angel appears. In the left background, we see a
self-portrait of the artist. The Counter-Reformation stressed witnessing,
attesting one’s faith, and there are many examples of artists including
themselves as witnesses to sacred events.Caravaggio received a commission for two paintings in the Cerasi Chapel in
the Church of Santa Maria del Popolo, the Cruci¿ xion of St. Peter and the
Conversion of St. Paul. The Cruci¿ xion of St. Peter emphasizes the upward
push of the cross, while the ¿ gures remain anonymous. In the Conversion of
St. Paul, the subject is expressed through the drama of light and shadow. The
placement of these paintings in the chapel is important and affects the way
they are viewed.