Caravaggio's Saint Matthew cycle—three paintings commissioned circa 1599 for the Contarelli Chapel in the Roman church of San Luigi dei Francesi—was the artist’s first major public work. Like many other of his paintings, these artworks come with a backstory that references other artists, including Raphael. And in this case, a mystery or two.
The series focuses on major characters in Saint Matthew’s story, but there are conflicting theories of exactly who is represented and who might be missing. For example, in The Calling of Saint Matthew, which figure depicts the saint? How can we spot the killer in The Martyrdom of Saint Matthew among the red-herring suspects Caravaggio has planted to mislead viewers? Art historian, art crime expert, and author Noah Charney deciphers a Baroque detective story centered on a complicated artist (with a murder in his history) that offers a novel way to approach and appreciate the genius behind the paintings.
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