Anyone who has seen a painting by Caravaggio will have been struck by its intense immediacy. The scenes depicted always feel incredibly real and painfully honest, and the visual darkness of his compositions is both comforting and unsettling at the same time. This makes sense for a man who has lived a turbulent life, often in the shadows, like he has.

Born in Milan in 1571, he made a considerable name for himself as an artist. His innovative use of light and darkness (chiaroscuro) would go on to profoundly impact the Baroque art period. But he also made a name for himself as a dangerous, often violent, man. It was not uncommon for Caravaggio to be involved in brawls and he even had to escape Rome to avoid a death penalty. This was a man who had seen the shadows, who understood their nature.

The Calling of St Matthew, Caravaggio (1599–1600)

Caravaggio’s life in the underworld is reflected directly in his paintings. In The Calling of Saint Matthew (1599–1600), Caravaggio depicts a religious scene in the harsh notes of actual life in the shadows. The story is derived from the Gospel of St Matthew and tells of how Christ saw a tax collector and inspired him to become one of his apostles.

“As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector’s booth. “Follow me,” he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him.”

Matthew 9:9

In Caravaggio’s version of this story, all the characters are depicted in ways that place them directly in the world as the painter knew it. They gather in dark rooms and dress in contemporary attire. Christ, the character on the far right, can be recognized by an only barely visible halo over his head. A beam of light, coming from behind Christ reveals the identity of Matthew, who is being asked by Christ to join him. Interestingly, Christ moves in the darkness. The light is not actually coming directly from him, nor is he even entirely visible. St Peter stands in front of him. This is not the Christ we see in other paintings of the time period. This depiction of Christ is far more real, harsh — honest.

In the character of Matthew, we can really see the urgency of this moment. He is being called up on a supreme religious mission. His left hand points to his chest as if to ask Christ if it is really him he is looking for. The hint of red on his cheeks even makes him look a little flustered. Still, his eyes are fixated on the light, he is intrigued and inspired by this calling. Yet his right hand remains on the coins. He is still counting his taxes and remains in doubt. His mind has not yet been won over entirely by the calling.

What makes this scene feel so entirely real is that it looks as if we could be sitting there ourselves. Caravaggio painted all these figures in ways that resemble what his audiences would have looked like. They are dressed like them, have jobs like them and sit in buildings they would recognize. The lofty heights of religion are brought directly into the underworld of shadows. In Caravaggio’s world, even Christ moves in the shadows. The way The Calling of St Matthew is painted makes it feel like anyone who looks at it could trade places with the characters. They are like us, they have internal struggles and conflicts — we know these people because we are these people.

The people who populate Caravaggio’s paintings are fully developed, complex personas, always portrayed in painful honesty. Compare Christ’s outstretched hand, calling to Matthew, with that other famous outstretched hand of Christian art. In Michelangelo’s The Creation of Adam (1511), God’s hand extends firmly towards Adam. His finger points out strongly and resolutely, resembling power and certainty. Christ’s hand in The Calling of St Matthew, however, look almost limp, only dangling towards Matthew. Christ’s hand actually much more resembles Adam’s. Caravaggio’s Christ is a true second Adam, exalted and holy but one of us all the same.

The Creation of Adam, Michelangelo (1511)

Caravaggio’s The Calling of St Matthew is a celebration of honesty. The reality and harshness of the painting highlight the intensity of the moment. Caravaggio does not need vibrant colours or spectacular imagery to show us that Matthew’s calling is an intense and incredibly significant experience. Instead, he shows it to us as it is — how it would be for us.