Artwork
Sf. Evanghelist Matei
Sf. Evanghelist Matei is an unspecified painting by the Byzantine icon painting artist Gheorghe Tattarescu. It is held in the collection of the Bucharest Municipality Museum.
About this work
Overview
The work depicts a venerable figure, identified by the inscription Matei, seated against a dark blue circular backdrop framed by a muted yellow border. He wears a crimson garment edged in green and gold, a white beard, and a golden halo, holding an open book while a diminutive secondary figure appears at the edge of the composition.
Subject & Meaning
The central character is Saint Matthew, one of the four Evangelists, traditionally shown with a book to signify his role as author of a Gospel. The contemplative expression and the presence of a smaller, observing figure may allude to the transmission of divine knowledge or the saint’s guidance of the faithful.
Technique & Style
Rendered in a flat, iconographic manner, the painting employs a limited palette of deep blues, reds, and golds, emphasizing symbolic color over naturalistic shading. The halo and stylized robes reflect the conventions of 19th‑century Romanian religious art, while the crisp linework suggests a disciplined hand.
History & Provenance
A modest signature consisting of the letters Gh appears in the lower corner, linking the piece to the Romanian painter Gheorghe Tattarescu (1818‑1894), known for his religious commissions. The work likely originated from a church or private devotional setting in the mid‑19th century.
Context
During Tattarescu’s career, there was a revival of Orthodox iconography blended with Western academic techniques. This painting exemplifies that synthesis, presenting a traditional saintly image with a refined, painterly approach characteristic of the period’s ecclesiastical art.
Legacy
Although not among Tattarescu’s most widely reproduced works, the piece illustrates his contribution to the visual language of Romanian Orthodoxy and continues to serve as a reference for scholars studying the intersection of national identity and religious art in the 1800s.
Artist & collection
Artist
Gheorghe Tattarescu (Romanian pronunciation:; October 1818 – October 24, 1894) was a Romanian painter and a pioneer of neoclassicism in his country's modern painting.
