Who painted The Calling of St. Matthew?

The Calling of St. Matthew was painted by Orcagna in 1367-01-01.

Where can I see The Calling of St. Matthew?

The Calling of St. Matthew is held by Uffizi Gallery.

What movement is The Calling of St. Matthew?

The Calling of St. Matthew is associated with Byzantine icon painting.

The Calling of St. Matthew by Orcagna (1367)

About this work

Subject & Meaning

Central figures include Jesus, Matthew, and onlookers, with Matthew shown pointing to himself in surprise, underscoring themes of grace and unexpected calling.

The Calling of St. Matthew depicts the biblical moment of Jesus summoning Matthew, a tax collector, to discipleship, emphasizing divine vocation and spiritual awakening. Central figures include Jesus, Matthew, and onlookers, with Matthew shown pointing to himself in surprise, underscoring themes of grace and unexpected calling. Symbolic elements such as money bags, coins, and a key reference Matthew's former profession and the transformative power of faith.

The composition highlights the intersection of sacred narrative and everyday life, reflecting medieval religious art's focus on divine-human interaction.

Technique & Style

The Calling of St. Matthew is executed in tempera on a wood panel, a standard combination for mid-fourteenth-century Italian devotional painting. The work is classified as a side panel of Orcagna's Matthew Triptych and is held by the Uffizi Gallery. Its physical support measures 88 cm in height by 74 cm in width, giving it a vertical orientation suited to its role within a multi-panel ensemble.

The panel belongs to the religious genre and depicts the encounter between Jesus Christ and Matthew the Apostle, accompanied by figures such as John the Evangelist and Saint Peter along with attributes including a key, book, coin, money, and a safe. The dating to 1367 places the work firmly within the Florentine Trecento tradition, executed using the egg-based tempera technique on a prepared wooden ground typical of Orcagna's workshop practice.

History & Provenance

The Calling of St. Matthew, a side panel from Andrea di Cione's (Orcagna) Matthew Triptych created in 1367, is currently held in the collection of the Uffizi Gallery in Florence. The work is executed in tempera and wood, measuring 88 cm in height and 74 cm in width. While the painting is part of the Uffizi's holdings, source data also associates its location with Orsanmichele and the Pier of Orsanmichele, indicating its original or historical context within that specific religious complex.

The provided sources do not list specific inventory or accession numbers for this panel, nor do they detail a history of exhibitions.

Legacy

The Calling of St. Matthew, painted by Orcagna in 1367, became a pivotal panel within the Matthew Triptych, housed in the Uffizi Gallery. Its integration of narrative detail and devotional focus influenced subsequent religious compositions, particularly in the depiction of apostolic encounters. The work's composition informed later treatments of calling scenes across Renaissance and Baroque art, establishing a precedent for storytelling within devotional panels.

Its preservation in Orsanmichele contributed to the site's reputation as a repository of early Florentine religious art, shaping scholarly interpretations of 14th-century iconography.

Overview

Created in 1367 by the Florentine artist Andrea di Cione, known as Orcanna, this wooden panel illustrates the biblical episode of the calling of the apostle Matthew. The work is part of the Uffizi Gallery’s collection and exemplifies the devotional imagery prevalent in mid‑fourteenth‑century Italy.

The Presentation of the Virgin in the Temple, Andrea di Bartolo

Artist & collection

Artist

Orcagna

Andrea di Cione di Arcangelo (c. 1308 – 25 August 1368), better known as Orcagna, was an Italian painter, sculptor, and architect active in Florence. He worked as a consultant at the Florence Cathedral and supervised…