Saint Matthew and the Angel
Simone Cantarini·c. 1645/1648
Historical Context
Simone Cantarini's Saint Matthew and the Angel, painted around 1645-1648, depicts the evangelist receiving divine inspiration as he writes his Gospel. Cantarini, known as "il Pesarese" for his birthplace, was one of the most gifted painters of the Bolognese school, training under both Guido Reni and Giovanni Andrea Sirani. His promising career was cut short by his early death, allegedly hastened by his notoriously difficult temperament.
Technical Analysis
The oil on canvas shows Cantarini's refined classicism, with soft modeling, an idealized figure type derived from Reni, and a luminous, restrained palette. The delicate handling and graceful composition reflect his position as Reni's most distinguished follower.
Provenance
Hagström, Stockholm, by 1937.[1] (sale, Christie, Manson & Woods, London, 11 December 1959, no. 108, as by Guercino); James O. Belden, Paris and Washington; gift 1972 to NGA. [1] According to Fern Rusk Shapley, _Catalogue of Italian Paintings_, 2 vols., Washington, 1979: 1:110.
