The painting, created for the Chapel of Cardinal Matteo Contarelli, from the very beginning was a problem for Caravaggio. It was his first multiple figure composition, in which he had to exhibit not only talent, but also knowledge on the topic of the so-called history painting – since the Renaissance the most valued and prestigious genre in this field of art. He was to create a scene incorporating itself in its tradition, which would seem real, and at the same time provide a moral message. He also had to show skill in building architectural space and combine the represented figures in such a way so that they would arouse in us feelings of sublimity and inspiration. In order to achieve this goal, Raphael – the greatest representative of this kind of painting, nearly one hundered years prior – needed hundreds of drawings and studies, and what of Caravaggio? We have no knowledge about his preparatory works for this painting, while his way of painting was rather simple – alla prima. He carried over directly to the painting, all that his imagination dictated to him, while his models were generally acquaintances of his. Another problem for the artist was, the clients and at the same time the executors of the will of cardinal Contarelli, who specifically described what the scenes decorating his posthumous chapel should represent. He desired to see the scene of the martyrdom of his patron saint, during the celebration of mass, with the apostle falling to his knees, surrounded by a crowd of terrified figures. Thanks to x-ray images we know, that before the canvas, that we can admire in the chapel today, was created, Caravaggio composed another scene – more static and with architecture in the background. However, apparently this composition did not please him. Disappointed and desperate he altered and corrected the painting, ultimately abandoning it and beginning to paint the second scene for this chapel – The Calling of St. Matthew. After its successful completion the artist returned to the previously begun Martyrdom. He changed everything in the painting. He discarded the architecture, reduced the number of figures and gave the scene more life and dynamism.

The canvas shows – as was the wish of the deceased cardinal – the moment of the death of Matthew, at the court of the Ethiopian King Hirtacus. The direct cause of the attack on the disciple was Iphigenia, the king’s fiancée, who converted to Christianity thanks to Matthew, rejecting the romantic advances of the ruler – since she wanted to live in chastity and devote herself to Christ. The attack itself, by a half-naked assassin on a defenseless Matthew takes place when the apostle is celebrating mass at the altar. He is accompanied by almost naked men – most likely neophytes who desire baptism, a terrified altar boy and figures emerging out of a dark background, on whose faces we see terror. However, an equally important element is the strong chiaroscuro which builds the mood of incredibility and it is with its aid that the artist expresses intensity and drama of this event. We feel the dense, steamy atmosphere in which the events take place. It is further underlined by – a painted – terrifying scream, which escapes the lips of the altar boy, giving the scene an added acoustic value – it pierces the painting, reaching the viewer.

The foreground of the composition is closed off in a triangle, of which the top is made up of the head of the murderer and he is in essence the principal figure in this event. His appearance and clothing which is made up of solely a loincloth, may suggest that he also was a member of the neophytes, but instead of joining those who would be free from sin through baptism, he became one of the traitors. The artist put a strong light on his nude body and on the whiteness of Matthew’s garments, in a symbolic way accentuating two contrasting worlds – pagan and Christian.

When we direct our attention to a group of figures on the left, we will notice a group of well-dressed youths, perhaps the same ones whom Caravaggio placed on the painting, The Calling of St. Matthew – here they look upon the scene, oblivious of its significance. And similarly to the painter himself, who is portrayed in the background, terrified flee the crime scene as soon as possible.

The moment of the brutal murder in a church has a symbolic dimension – it is an attack on the Eucharist by pagans in ancient times, but an attack which is very much current in Caravaggio’s time. An event which occurred nearly twenty years prior, in which a certain English Protestant attacked a priest celebrating mass in St. Peter’s Basilica, was most likely still fresh in the minds of Romans. In such a way the fear of infidels intrudes upon the scene, as they are identified with paganism and a fear-inspiring brutal execution.

The Martyrdom of St. Matthew, Caravaggio, oil on canvas, 340 x 322 cm, 1600, Cappella Contarelli, Church of San Luigi dei Francesi