Caravaggio's art work The Calling of Saint Matthew

Background

Subject traditionally was represented either indoors or out, sometimes Matthew is shown inside the building, with Christ is (according to the Biblical text), calling him through the window. Both before and after Caravaggio's theme is often used as a pretext for anecdotal genre paintings. Caravaggio may have been familiar with the earlier Netherlandish paintings of money lenders or the players sit around a table, like St. Matthew and his associates.

Undesratanding Artistic Standing of Caravaggio

Caravaggio represented the event as a nearly silent, dramatic narrative. The sequence of actions before and after this point can be easily and convincingly re-create. Publican Levi (name of Matthew, before he became an apostle) was sitting at a table with his four assistants, the counting of income per day, the group lighted from a source in the upper right corner of the picture. Christ, His eyes veiled, with its aura of just a hint of divinity, enters with Saint Peter. Gesture of his right hand, the increasingly powerful and persuasive because of its weakness, is Levi (Gash, p. 53). Surprised by intruders and, perhaps, blinded by the sudden light from just opened the door, Levi draws back and gestures to his left arm as if to say, Who am I? His right hand remains on the coin he had counted in front of Christ.

Symbolism of Art Work

Two figures on the left, received from the 1545 Hans Holbein print representing the players do not know about the appearance of death, associated with counting money that they do not even notice the arrival of Christ, symbolically their inattention to Christ deprives them of opportunities it offers for eternal life, and condemns them to death. Two boys in the heart react retreating from the junior Levy, as if seeking his protection, ...