.gif)
Saint Matthew and the Angel (Caravaggio)
Encyclopedia
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.
The work was contracted early in 1602 to replace an altarpiece sculpture by the Flemish artist Jacob Cobaert (Cope Fiammingo). Cobaert had struggled with the sculpture for decades, unable to complete it. When his statue of Saint Matthew, sans angel, was installed at last in January 1602, "the Contarelli, ... expecting something divine, or miraculous, and finding something dry, did not want it in their chapel; in exchange they commissioned a St Matthew from Michelangelo da Caravaggio." (Giovanni Baglione
, a contemporary of Caravaggio).
The three-dimensionality and solid modeling of the painting suggest that Caravaggio wished to give it a sculptural appearance to compensate for Cobaert's rejected group. The Contarelli presumably turned to him because they were pleased with the two side-panels he had provided for the chapel in 1599/1600, The Calling of Saint Matthew
and The Martyrdom of Saint Matthew
. These had been extremely well received, but Saint Matthew and the Angel was rejected. They may have been disconcerted by the fact that this illiterate peasant, who seems as if he might never have written a word before this angel came down to guide his hand so firmly, has no clear connection with the polished tax-collector depicted in the Calling of Matthew on one neighbouring wall, nor the venerable high churchman in the Martyrdom on the other. These faults were rectified by the artist in his replacement canvas, The Inspiration of Saint Matthew, which now hangs in the chapel.
The rejected work was purchased by Caravaggio's patron, the wealthy banker Vincenzo Giustiniani
, for his private collection, and probably cut down in size. It eventually entered the Kaiser Friedrich Museum
painting gallery in Berlin
, where it was destroyed in the closing stages of World War II
.
Caravaggio
Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio was an Italian artist active in Rome, Naples, Malta, and Sicily between 1593 and 1610. His paintings, which combine a realistic observation of the human state, both physical and emotional, with a dramatic use of lighting, had a formative influence on the Baroque...
(1571-1610), completed for the Contarelli Chapel
Contarelli Chapel
The Contarelli Chapel, within the church of San Luigi dei Francesi in Rome, is famous for housing three paintings on the theme of Saint Matthew the Evangelist by the Baroque master Caravaggio....
in the church of San Luigi dei Francesi
San Luigi dei Francesi
The Church of St. Louis of the French is a Roman Catholic minor basilica and titular church in Rome, not far from Piazza Navona. The church is dedicated to the Virgin Mary, to St. Denis the Areopagite and St. Louis IX, king of France...
in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
. It was destroyed in 1945 and is now known only from black-and-white photographs and enhanced color reproductions.
The work was contracted early in 1602 to replace an altarpiece sculpture by the Flemish artist Jacob Cobaert (Cope Fiammingo). Cobaert had struggled with the sculpture for decades, unable to complete it. When his statue of Saint Matthew, sans angel, was installed at last in January 1602, "the Contarelli, ... expecting something divine, or miraculous, and finding something dry, did not want it in their chapel; in exchange they commissioned a St Matthew from Michelangelo da Caravaggio." (Giovanni Baglione
Giovanni Baglione
Giovanni Baglione was an Italian Late Mannerist and Early Baroque painter and art historian. He is best remembered for his acrimonious involvement with the artist Caravaggio and his writings concerning the other Roman artists of his time.-Early life:A pupil of Francesco Morelli, he worked mainly...
, a contemporary of Caravaggio).
The three-dimensionality and solid modeling of the painting suggest that Caravaggio wished to give it a sculptural appearance to compensate for Cobaert's rejected group. The Contarelli presumably turned to him because they were pleased with the two side-panels he had provided for the chapel in 1599/1600, The Calling of Saint Matthew
The Calling of St Matthew (Caravaggio)
The Calling of Saint Matthew is a masterpiece by Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio, depicting the Calling of Matthew. It was completed in 1599-1600 for the Contarelli Chapel in the church of the French congregation, San Luigi dei Francesi in Rome...
and The Martyrdom of Saint Matthew
The Martyrdom of Saint Matthew (Caravaggio)
The Martyrdom of Saint Matthew is a painting by the Italian master Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio. It is located in the Contarelli Chapel of the church of the French congregation San Luigi dei Francesi in Rome, where it hangs opposite The Calling of Saint Matthew and beside the altarpiece The...
. These had been extremely well received, but Saint Matthew and the Angel was rejected. They may have been disconcerted by the fact that this illiterate peasant, who seems as if he might never have written a word before this angel came down to guide his hand so firmly, has no clear connection with the polished tax-collector depicted in the Calling of Matthew on one neighbouring wall, nor the venerable high churchman in the Martyrdom on the other. These faults were rectified by the artist in his replacement canvas, The Inspiration of Saint Matthew, which now hangs in the chapel.
The rejected work was purchased by Caravaggio's patron, the wealthy banker Vincenzo Giustiniani
Vincenzo Giustiniani
thumb|upright|Vincenzo Giustiniani in a portrait by [[Nicolas Régnier]] Marchese Vincenzo Giustiniani was an aristocratic Italian banker, art collector and intellectual of the late 16th and early 17th centuries, known today largely for the Giustiniani art collection, assembled at Palazzo...
, for his private collection, and probably cut down in size. It eventually entered the Kaiser Friedrich Museum
Bode Museum
The Bode Museum is one of the group of museums on the Museum Island in Berlin, Germany; it is a historically preserved building. The museum was designed by architect Ernst von Ihne and completed in 1904...
painting gallery in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
, where it was destroyed in the closing stages of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.