Caravaggio, The Calling of Saint Matthew, 1600
By Anisa Hashemi
Arts Editor
Caravaggio’s “The Calling of Saint Matthew”, completed in 1600, contains the essence of Baroque art, characterized by its theatricality, emotional intensity, and departure from the artistic norms of previous eras. The movement was started in Rome, and very quickly spread to Europe. The Baroque period, marked by its unrestrained emotion, and dramatic lighting, offered artists like Caravaggio a platform to revolutionize artistic expression. Analyzing this artwork will reveal that the Baroque movement’s embrace of chiaroscuro, dramatic lighting, and a new naturalism reflected the scientific advancements of the period.
Caravaggio holds a distinguished place for revolutionizing European artistic traditions. His style is characterized by striking realism, realistic biblical scenes, and wild chiaroscuro. The postures and forms of his figures all add to this dramatizing. Caravaggio’s inclination toward realism led him to portray biblical scenes with a striking authenticity, integrating ordinary contemporary people and environments into his religious depictions. He even employed people from the streets to model for his art, to create authentic and natural figures over idealized ones.
In his iconic oil painting, “The Calling of Saint Matthew,” Caravaggio illustrates the transformative moment from the Gospel where Jesus and Saint Peter approach a group of tax collectors counting money. Saint Peter almost completely hides Christ’s figure; The only thing we see is his face, arm and his finger pointing to St. Mathew. For all his originality, we can see that he also uses sources from the past by painting Christ’s outstretched arms and finger to recall the creation of Adam, a fresco completed by Michelangelo in 1512. This parallels Adam’s original creation with Matthew’s spiritual rebirth through Jesus. The coin in Matthew’s hatband symbolizes his preoccupation with money, while his mirrored gesture to Jesus signifies his future dedication to Jesus’ service.
Furthermore, there is a mysterious, miraculous, and consistent strong light coming from an unknown source as Jesus Christ enters the room, which further dramatizes the arrival of the son of God. The strong chiaroscuro is also present through the light and dark contrast to emphasize the drama of the Christian message within.
The Baroque era witnessed lots of scientific innovations, particularly in the realms of optics and light. Caravaggio’s masterful manipulation of light and shadow resonates with the advancements in scientific understanding during this period. Johannes Kepler’s groundbreaking work on optics and the behavior of light might have influenced Caravaggio’s technique. Kepler’s insights into light behavior potentially taught and inspired Caravaggio to use light correctly in order to evoke emotional depth in his artworks.
Also, Galileo Galilei’s pioneering experiments with lenses and vision revolutionized perceptions about sight and human observation. Within “The Calling of Saint Matthew,” Caravaggio portrays figures in various states of sight and blindness, possibly symbolizing the limitations and insights of human perception. This portrayal hints at the philosophical contemplations on sight stimulated by Galileo’s groundbreaking discoveries.
To sum up, Caravaggio’s “The Calling of Saint Matthew” transcends its artistic brilliance by subtly reflecting the scientific inquiries of the Baroque era. The interplay of light and shadow in the painting mirrors the scientific advancements in optics and perception. This integration of art and science shows how artistic expression often resonates with the intellectual inquiries of its time, emphasizing the connection between disciplines.