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Simbolo dell'Evangelista Matteo (angelo)
Titian·c. 1532
Historical Context
This angel symbol of Saint Matthew from around 1532 completes Titian's set of evangelist symbols for Santa Maria della Salute in Venice. The four ceiling tondi represent an important but less studied aspect of Titian's extensive work for Venetian churches. Titian's late style—those loosely brushed, atmospheric works made for Philip II of Spain—was one of the most radical developments in the history of European painting, anticipating Impressionism by three centuries.
Technical Analysis
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.
Look Closer
- ◆Notice the flowing draperies designed for legibility from below: the angel's celestial movement is conveyed through fabric that billows and streams in a way that reads as heavenly motion at ceiling height.
- ◆Look at the warm palette: the angelic figure's golden and white tones create the luminous, otherworldly quality appropriate to a divine messenger.
- ◆Observe the foreshortening of the figure: the body's compression for overhead viewing is technically demanding, and Titian's confident handling demonstrates his mastery of the illusionistic tradition.
- ◆Find how the angel relates to the other three evangelist symbols: all four panels were designed as a set, and the Matthew angel's upward motion complements the directional energy of the other three creatures.
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