object
Book
Gospel in composition; angel may whisper inspiration.
Iconography & biography archive
Era: 1st century · Capernaum, Roman EastFeast: September 21Category: Apostles
Sources: Matthew 9:9; Papias on Matthew’s logia; evangelist symbol from Revelation 4.
1 / 13
Browse depictions13 works
Selected depiction
Saint Matthew (Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio - St Matthew and t)
Wikimedia Commons
Apostles
Saint Matthew
Levi
Feast: September 21
Intermediate difficulty
the tax collector—evangelist of the angel—writes the Gospel that opens with Christ’s genealogy.
0I
Iconographic Attributes
Symbols that identify this saint in sacred art
object
Book
Gospel in composition; angel may whisper inspiration.
symbol
Sacred Halo
Divine or sanctified light around the head
clothing
Apostolic Robes
Garments of the Twelve or evangelists
object
Scroll
Writing the Gospel
object
Pen
Traditional iconographic attribute associated with this figure in Christian art.
II
Iconographic Field Guide
How to read Saint Matthew in paintings, sculpture, and altarpieces
Winged man/angel inspires Matthew at his desk—distinct from Mark’s lion and Luke’s ox. Money bag or coins sometimes recall tax office in Calling scenes. Caravaggio’s Calling in San Luigi dei Francesi is the modern viewer’s default mental image.
symbol
Sacred Halo
Divine or sanctified light around the head
clothing
Apostolic Robes
Garments of the Twelve or evangelists
object
Scroll
Writing the Gospel
object
Pen
Traditional iconographic attribute associated with this figure in Christian art.
Typical vesture
- —apostolic robes
Color conventions
Artists often dress Saint Matthew in red, blue, gold—these hues are not rigid rules but long-standing conventions that help recognition in polyptychs and chapel cycles.
III
Visual Gallery
Selected depictions of Saint Matthew from verified sources
Wikimedia Commons
Painting
Saint Matthew (Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio - St Matthew and t)
Wikimedia Commons
Painting
Saint Matthew (Caravaggio saint matthew DLI 06163009908.jpg)
Wikimedia Commons
Painting
Saint Matthew (Hausbuch Master - Gospel Book with Evangelist Portra)
Wikimedia Commons
Painting
Saint Matthew (Jusepe de Ribera - Saint Matthew - Google Art Projec)
Wikimedia Commons
Painting
Saint Matthew (Rembrandt - Head of Saint Matthew.jpg)
Wikimedia Commons
Painting
Saint Matthew (Reni - Saint Matthew, 1621.jpg)
Wikimedia Commons
Painting
Saint Matthew (Saint Matthew - Google Art Project (6826325).jpg)
Wikimedia Commons
Painting
Saint Matthew (Giovanni Gerolamo Savoldo – Saint Matthew and the An)
Wikimedia Commons
Painting
Saint Matthew (Guercino - Saint Matthew and the Angel - Google Art )
Wikimedia Commons
Painting
Saint Matthew (Guido Reni - St Matthew and the Angel - WGA19308.jpg)
Wikimedia Commons
Painting
Saint Matthew (Saint Matthew and the Angel by Nicolas Regnier. Ring)
Wikimedia Commons
Painting
Saint Matthew (Salomon Andersson - Matthew the Evangelist and the A)
Wikimedia Commons
Painting
Saint Matthew (St. Matthew and the Angel by Kamal-ol-molk (after Re)
03
Biographical Archive
Life, witness, and historical framing
genealogy panel teaches Incarnation through history. In evangelist portraits, if the creature is an angelic winged man, it is Matthew—never mix the four symbols on one figure.
04
Visual Recognition Guide
Clues ordered for museum identification
1.Angel (winged man)
Symbol of the Evangelist Matthew
2.Book or scroll
Writing the Gospel
3.Writing desk or quill
Evangelist at work
4.Money bag (sometimes)
Recalls his profession as tax collector before conversion
05
Patronage and Devotion
Why communities invoke this figure
bankersaccountantstax collectorscivil servants
06
Distinguishing Similar Figures
Avoid common misidentifications in galleries
Often confused with Saint Luke: Both evangelists shown writing with symbolic creatures
07
Notes from the Archive
Scholarly curiosities and cult details
- ✝Caravaggio painted him twice for the Contarelli Chapel in Rome
At a glance
- Feast
- September 21
- Category
- Apostles
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Patron of
- bankersaccountantstax collectorscivil servants
Life & legacy
Matthew’s genealogy panel teaches Incarnation through history. In evangelist portraits, if the creature is an angelic winged man, it is Matthew—never mix the four symbols on one figure.
Curiosities
- Caravaggio painted him twice for the Contarelli Chapel in Rome
0X
Related Saints
Other Apostles figures you might want to explore
