The two works making up Caravaggio's commission…
1600 CE
The two works making up Caravaggio's commission for the Contarelli Chapel in the church of San Luigi dei Francesi, the Martyrdom of Saint Matthew and Calling of Saint Matthew, delivered in 1600, are an immediate sensation.
Caravaggio's tenebrism (a heightened chiaroscuro) brings high drama to his subjects, while his acutely observed realism brings a new level of emotional intensity.
Opinion among Caravaggio's artist peers is polarized.
Some denounce him for various perceived failings, notably his insistence on painting from life, without drawings, but for the most part he is hailed as a great artistic visionary.
Images
Caravaggio: The Martyrdom of Saint Matthew (1599-1600). Contarelli Chapel, San Luigi dei Francesi, Rome. The beam of light, which enters the picture from the direction of a real window, expresses in the blink of an eye the conversion of St Matthew, the hinge on which his destiny will turn, with no flying angels, parting clouds or other artifacts.
Locations
Regions
Southwest Europe
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