Caravaggio, The Calling of Saint Matthew, 1600

I've always liked art. In fact, at 10 years old, I wanted to be just like Raphael. As a 5th grader I looked forward to my art classes every day, when I would become the artist/Ninja Turtle that I always wanted to be. But what 10 year-old me didn't understand, besides the fact that I wasn't a radioactive turtle, was that art isn't just about be able to draw well and throw ninja stars. Possibly more important is the way the scene looks. The way the light is cast, the shadows and the lines.

The main thing that attracted me to this particular painting was the realism. The shadows are perfectly done, and the line on the wall from shadow contrasts with Jesus's face, putting it in sharp relief. The two characters in the middle add balance while framing the man with the amazing beard, who may or may not be Saint Matthew. Art historians argue about which of them is Saint Matthew. I personally subscribe to the school of thought that a Saint should have a really cool beard. The bearded man may be pointing at himself as if to say "You mean me?" or he may be pointing at the young man with his head down. However, in the other two paintings done in this series, Saint Matthew is depicted with a really cool beard, lending credence to the former theory.While it was a religious painting, this painting was disliked by many members of the church for showing both Jesus and Saint Matthew in a bar.

The painting was commissioned by Cardinal Matteo Contarelli, who wanted art done about his namesake. Caravaggio stepped in to create a series of paintings of Saint Matthew, the other two being The Inspiration of Saint Matthew and The Martyrdom of Saint Matthew.