The Calling of Saint Matthew and The Martyrdom of Saint Matthew are two of the most famous works by Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio.
In the first painting, the Italian artist uses beaming light with unique skill to illuminate the expressions of the characters, giving the art-piece a deeply human element.
In the second painting, an even more imposing contrast of darkness and light dominates the violent moment of St. Matthew's death. In the midst of the dramatic setting, an angel offers him the palm of martyrdom.
A visitor in Rome can find these masterpieces in the Chiesa di San Luigi dei Francesi, just around the corner from Piazza Navona. Beautiful as the paintings are, they also have a Jubilee Year history.
In 1598, Cardinal Matteo Contarelli commissioned Caravaggio to create the paintings. They were unveiled two years later in the Jubilee Year of 1600 under Pope Clement VIII.
Inspired by this story, the film director Giovanni Piscaglia released his latest documentary this year to share the incredible story of Caravaggio’s paintings. The documentary is called Caravaggio in Rome: The Jubilee Journey.
FRANCO DI SARRO
CEO NEXO STUDIOS
Both are, of course, completely different periods which, nonetheless, marked a turning point in constructing an itinerary for pilgrims and in the way of experiencing this great city— which, naturally, one encounters in a totally different way, just as the film says. So the Jubilee represented precisely a form of pilgrimage and therefore a devotion tied to this path toward redemption.
After creating his paintings on the life of St. Matthew, Caravaggio abandoned everyday scenes to instead devoted his craft to capturing the sacred. His works reflect an intense and tormented faith, but even more, a profound sense of redemption.
DIDI GNOCCHI
CEO, 3D PRODUCTIONS
For his ability to interpret the torment and the duality that exists within every man; for the creative journey and artistic maturation of a creator who did not keep painting the same type of work but was able to pass through different eras and remain ever current; and then, probably, for crossing Rome with Caravaggio’s eyes.
Caravaggio became one of Rome's favorite painters, and was commissioned to create art for many of the city's aristocratic families as well as clergy from the Vatican. Among many of his other famous works are paintings such as The Supper at Emmaus, The Conversion of Saint Paul, The Pilgrims’ Madonna, and David with the Head of Goliath.
As we approach the end of the Jubilee Year of 2025, Caravaggio's paintings are a powerful testament to the history of the Church—its past jubilee years, its architecture, its faithful—but, most of all, its timeless pursuit of beauty and truth.
