Caravaggio, the great genius who changed the art four centuries ago, painted his "St Matthew and the Angel" that, since the XVII century, it can be found inside the wonderful Basilica of San Luigi dei Francesi here in Rome. The curiosity was that what we see today is only the second version of the work, since the first was refused by the purchasers because it was described as to the limits of blasphemy.

If you go to the Palazzo Barberini, where yyou have to remember that you can find a valuable art collection of the XVII century or incredible frescos (click here...) you can enjoy a true gem: the reproduction on canvas of the first version created by Caravaggio, obtained thanks to the analysis of official documents, especially letters. So why I'm talking about a first version? Because it was really criticized by the sponsors who asked to Caravaggio this painting! What was wrong?

If you see better, in the first version (the one in grey), St Matthew seems a little bit dazed, almost unable to understand what is really happening. He is wearing with dresses which were commons in the age of Caravaggio (a distinctive trait of the artist that in this way he wanted to approach the subject, even if sacred, to the population). St. Matthew appears to be in a daze. Try to look his eyes, almost lost in the void. The Angel next to him not only seems to suggest or, better, to inspire the saint to write the Gospel, but it almost seems that the is helping of healthy plant, as if he was totally incapable of it. In short, here we see a version of the Evangelist a bit unconventional classics of christian iconography.

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The face of the Angel itself seems almost tired, bored (another characteristic of Caravaggio, who loved to abandon any hieratic expression from his paintings). You see the difference with the other version, the one visible today in the Basilica of San Luigi dei Francesi? The Angel comes from heaven, without even touching St. Matthew, and seems to really inspire with its mere presence. The saint, however, with this position a bit unnatural, and foreshortened, suffers from this inspiration and actually looks capable and autonomous. In short, a big difference no?