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Dramatic scene of Christ calling the tax collector Matthew from his counting table, with a shaft of light cutting through the darkness to illuminate the moment of divine selection.
Significance
Revolutionary use of tenebrism (dramatic contrast of light and dark) that would transform European painting. Caravaggio's naturalistic treatment of sacred subjects was both celebrated and controversial.
Medium
Oil on canvas
Dimensions
322 cm × 340 cm
Location
Contarelli Chapel, San Luigi dei Francesi, Rome, Italy