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The Calling of Saint Matthew is an oil painting by Caravaggio that depicts the moment Jesus Christ calls on the tax collector Matthew to follow him. It was completed in 1599–1600 for the Contarelli Chapel in the church of the French congregation, San Luigi dei Francesi in Rome, where it remains.
Aug 15, 2023 · Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio depicted the scene when the apostle Matthew was called by Jesus Christ to follow Him in The Calling of St Matthew (c.1599 – 1600). It is from the New Testament’s Gospel of Matthew in the Holy Bible.
The Calling of Saint Matthew, 1600 by Caravaggio. The subject traditionally was represented either indoors or out; sometimes Saint Matthew is shown inside a building, with Christ outside (following the Biblical text) summoning him through a window.
The painting on the left shows the calling of Saint Matthew. Saint Matthew would become one of the apostles of Christ, but this is the moment just before the moment of transition that is his spiritual awakening.
Caravaggio's "Calling of Saint Matthew" captures a powerful moment of spiritual awakening. Set in a gritty, realistic environment, Christ points to Matthew, a tax collector, inviting him to follow. The painting highlights the divine entering everyday life, emphasizing the transformative power of faith and making spirituality accessible to all.
The Calling of Saint Matthew is proof of Caravaggio's ability to show biblical scenes more realistically and unfolding before the viewer's very eyes. The artist was not creating a descriptive naturalism but instead focused on the physical reality of this particular scene.
The Calling of Matthew is an episode in the life of Jesus which appears in all three synoptic gospels, Matthew 9:9–13, Mark 2:13–17 and Luke 5:27–28, and relates the initial encounter between Jesus and Matthew, the tax collector who became a disciple.
