Artwork
St Matthew the Apostle
St Matthew the Apostle is an oil painting by the Rococo painting artist Georg Gsell. It dates from 1729 and is held in the collection of the Hermitage Museum.
About this work
Overview
Georg Gsell, a Swiss painter of the early 1700s, executed the oil painting *St Matthew the Apostle* in 1729. The work is part of the Rococo period and is presently owned by the State Hermitage Museum in Saint Petersburg.
Subject & Meaning
The canvas portrays the apostle Matthew as a bearded figure dressed in period robes. He gestures with one hand while grasping a staff with the other, his expression solemn, suggesting a contemplative religious narrative.
Technique & Style
Gsell employs a restrained palette of earth tones—greens, browns and a muted red—combined with soft chiaroscuro. Delicate shadows model the face against a dark backdrop, giving the figure a modest three‑dimensional presence typical of Rococo portraiture.
History & Provenance
Created while Gsell was residing in Saint Petersburg, the painting later entered the collection of the Hermitage. After his Russian tenure, Gsell served as an art adviser to Peter the Great, linking the work to the broader cultural exchange between Western Europe and early 18th‑century Russia.
Artist & collection
Artist
Georg Gsell (Russian: Георг Гзелль; 28 January 1673 – 22 November 1740) was a Swiss Baroque painter, art consultant and art dealer.
