Why it matters
An angel wrapped in a rippling sheet instructs the restless Matthew, who has rushed to his desk, his stool teetering into our space. It hangs above the altar of the Contarelli Chapel, between Caravaggio's two other Matthew paintings.
Did you know?
- It dates from 1602.
- Caravaggio's first version, Saint Matthew and the Angel, was rejected and later destroyed in the Second World War.
- He was paid for it in September 1602.
Based on the Wikipedia article The Inspiration of Saint Matthew (CC BY-SA 4.0).
