Wednesday, June 27, 2007
The Saint Matthew's Vocation
Note how your eyes are drawn to the man sitting at the table and pointing to himself. This man is the Apostle Matthew. Jesus and Peter have entered the room from the right. Jesus and Peter are clothed in their real time period; however, Matthew and his companions are dressed in the attire of Caravaggio's contemporaries. Therefore, Caravaggio's viewers would have been drawn into this evangelical story.
Jesus is painted in the shadows. He is coming out of the darkness. The emphasis is not placed on the divine as was common in artwork during this time period. The emphasis is placed on the humanity, the sinful Matthew. Christ points with a hand that is reminiscent of Adam's hand in Michelangelo's fresco on the Sistine Chapel.
Surprisingly, the glowing light is not coming from the window; it appears to be coming from above Jesus. The light shines on the faces of ALL the men sitting at the table. However, only Matthew looks at Jesus. The two to the left of Matthew are studying Peter. The men to Matthew's right are oblivious to the visitors; they are more preoccupied with the money.
Look closely and you will realize that Matthew has one hand on his money. This snap shot captures the moment Matthew must make a decision. Which master will he choose: God or money?
From his strong Catholic beliefs, it is no coincidence that Caravaggio paints Peter standing between Christ and the people at the table. It is with Peter that Christ established his Church. The Catholics taught that the Church is the mediator between God and men. However, Matthew is looking straight at Jesus, where I believe we should all look.
