Saint Matthew the Evangelist

Orcagna, the commanding figure of Florentine art in the mid-Trecento, painted this Saint Matthew the Evangelist around 1367 as part of a series of monumental panels depicting the four Evangelists for Orsanmichele or a major Florentine church. Orcagna was unique in combining the roles of painter, sculptor, and architect — he created both the famous tabernacle at Orsanmichele and important painted altarpieces. This imposing panel in the Uffizi Gallery embodies the hieratic, authoritative style that defined Florentine art after the Black Death.

Painted in tempera and gold on panel, the Evangelist is presented in a monumental, frontal format that emphasizes his authority as author of one of the four Gospels. Orcagna's characteristic technique features powerful volumetric modeling, strong dark outlines, rich saturated colors, and meticulously tooled gold ground with complex punch-work patterns.