Simbolo dell'Evangelista Matteo (angelo)

Titian's angel of Saint Matthew, the third of his four evangelist symbols for the Santo Spirito sacristy ceiling and now in the Gallerie dell'Accademia, represents the human-with-wings symbol derived from Ezekiel's vision of the four living creatures that early Christian tradition mapped onto the four Gospel writers. Matthew's angel reflected his Gospel's emphasis on Christ's human lineage and his role as the fulfillment of Jewish prophecy — the most human and historically grounded of the four evangelists, his symbol appropriately combining the human form with the angelic wings of divine inspiration. The four ceiling tondi together represent one of the most complete surviving examples of Titian's approach to decorative ceiling painting — less discussed than his great altarpieces but equally demanding in their technical challenges and equally revealing of his ability to adapt his compositional thinking to different architectural contexts and viewing conditions.

The angelic figure is composed with the dramatic foreshortening required for ceiling painting, rendered in Titian's warm palette with flowing draperies that suggest celestial movement.