A dramatic Baroque-style oil painting depicting Jesus calling Saint Matthew, with a beam of divine light illuminating the scene in a dimly lit room.

A dramatic Baroque-style oil painting on canvas portraying "The Calling of Saint Matthew" from the Gospel of Matthew 9:9, set in a dark, contemporary Roman tavern-like setting. The room is dimly lit with intense chiaroscuro and tenebrism, emphasizing a sharp diagonal beam of divine light from a high window illuminating Jesus, barefoot and modestly dressed, standing calmly at the right edge with his hand extended in a gesture echoing Michelangelo’s "Creation of Adam." Saint Peter stands in front of Christ, mirroring the gesture more forcefully. At the table on the left, five men in Roman attire count coins and study documents. Matthew, a bearded man in fine clothes, is caught mid-gesture, pointing to himself with a stunned expression, half-shadowed and illuminated by the divine light. The background remains cloaked in darkness, symbolizing spiritual ignorance, while the light serves as a metaphor for divine grace and revelation. Rich textures, expressive gestures, and emotional realism bring the sacred moment into vivid focus. See more