The triptych of Saint Matthew, the first Roman success
Then as now, to succeed in Rome, you need to know how to surround yourself with the right people! The young Caravaggio already understood this, and his acquaintances were decisive. His friendship with Cardinal Francesco Maria del Monte, an erudite aesthete whom he served for three years after the latter had noticed him thanks to paintings such as The Fortune Teller, a copy of which is preserved at the Musei Capitolini, enabled him to receive his first public commission in 1599: the triptych of Saint Matthew. These canvases can be found in the Contarelli Chapel of the church of San Luigi dei Francesi, not far from the Piazza Navona. The commission was originally given by Cardinal Matthew Contarelli, a great patron of the arts who helped rebuild the façade of the church of San Luigi dei Francesi. However, he died in 1585 and was never able to see the master's paintings adorning his chapel. Today, all visitors have to do is insert a €2 coin into the Contarelli chapel's lighting system, and Caravaggio's works are revealed! Left: The Vocation of St. Matthew, center: St. Matthew and the Angel and right: The Martyrdom of St. Matthew. As their names suggest, these three paintings represent crucial stages in the life of Saint Matthew. Completed in 1600, Le Martyre de saint Mathieu is based on Jacques de Voragine's descriptionin La Légende dorée, and depicts the killing of the saint at the end of a mass. The Vocation of Saint Matthew, which illustrates the moment when God called him to the apostolate, is directly inspired by the Gospel. Interestingly, there's a nod to The Creation of Adam, Michelangelo's most famous fresco, which you'll see in the Cappella Sistina when you visit the Musei Vaticani. Indeed, Jesus' outstretched arm towards Matthew calling him to himself - repeated by the figure of St. Peter, in front of Jesus - clearly refers to God's index finger pointed at Adam at his creation in Michelangelo's work. With this reference, Caravaggio reiterates his admiration for his predecessors, while at the same time imposing his innovative style, notably through a unique play of light. The third painting, Saint Matthew and the Angel, in the center, was completed two years later, in 1602. The work we admire today is the second version proposed by Caravaggio, since the first was rejected as too trivial: Saint Matthew crossed his legs and his feet were too visible, you might think! The one on display is much more conventional, showing the saint dressed in an orange tunic writing his Gospel, under the dictation of an angel.
Caravaggio in the churches
After the triptych of St. Matthew, the artist expanded his output for the most important Roman churches, acquiring considerable renown among the great Roman families, who loved his unique style, imbued with his ardor and the heritage of his illustrious predecessors, the Flemish painters and the great masters of Italian painting. A tour dedicated to Caravaggio would begin at the Basilica Santa Maria del Popolo, on the monumental Piazza del Popolo in northern Rome. This discreet church houses two treasures: The Conversion of Saint Paul and The Crucifixion of Saint Peter . Located in the Cerasi chapel, these two paintings were commissioned from Caravaggio in 1600 and frame an altarpiece by Annibal Carracci. The artist proposed two versions of these paintings, but the first, which was probably refused, now belongs to a private collection and is, unfortunately, rarely exhibited. The Conversion of Saint Paul is one of Caravaggio's most important works. It brilliantly illustrates the biblical episode in which Paul hears the voice of God leading him to himself after a fall from his horse.
To continue our exploration of Caravaggio's works in Roman churches, let's move on to the historic center, to the Basilica di Sant'Agostino to be precise. In the Cavaletti chapel of this 15th-century church, we find The Madonna of the Pilgrims , sometimes called the Madonna of Loreto, painted between 1604 and 1606. This breathtakingly detailed and realistic painting depicts the Virgin dressed in popular fashion, facing two kneeling pilgrims, their feet dirty as you'll note. With these trivial details, Caravaggio departs from the canonical religious aesthetic of the 16th century. Indeed, several art historians have claimed that a courtesan, Maddalena Antognetti, even served as a model for the Madonna! This blend of the trivial and the sacred left its mark on Caravaggio's aesthetic, and is also to be found in The Death of the Virgin, a painting now housed in the Louvre in Paris, having been rejected by the monks of the church of Santa Maria della Scala, in the Trastevere district, for which it was intended.
From galleries to museums, a valued production
While some of these works remain in their original churches, others are now on display in Rome's museums, greatly contributing to their preservation. The pinacoteca of the Musei Vaticani owns just one painting by Caravaggio, and not the least: The Deposition from the Cross . Painted between 1602 and 1604, this gigantic work, inspired by the last episode of Christ's Passion, confirmed Caravaggio's talent and, after its execution, gained recognition in Roman art circles. Until the 18th century, the altarpiece was housed in the church of Santa Maria in Vallicella, or Chiesa Nuova, in the historic center.
For a complete overview of Caravaggio's work, however, the Galleria Borghese is the place to go: this is the museum with the most works by the artist in Rome. Among the most emblematic is the famous David with Goliath's Head , depicting the moment when David raises his opponent's head after victory. Highly symbolic, it was painted by Caravaggio after the homicide of a gambler in a gambling joint of which he was accused in 1606, and which forced him to flee Rome, condemned to be beheaded: the artist was decidedly irascible! Some art historians see Goliath's head as a self-portrait by Caravaggio. The painter is said to have sent this precious canvas to Scipione Borghese, nephew of Pope Paul V, with the aim of obtaining a pardon and returning to Rome, a city which, as we have seen, today celebrates his genius without moderation. The pardon was not granted, and the artist was forced to flee to Naples, then Malta, before moving on to Sicily and then Naples again. He died in Porto Ercole in 1610, leaving behind a unique body of work.
