Artwork
Saint Matthew
Saint Matthew is an oil painting by the Northern Renaissance artist Lucas van Leyden. It dates from 1538 and is held in the collection of the Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1538, this oil painting portrays Saint Matthew at work, seated at a desk and engrossed in writing. He is dressed in a light‑toned robe, his short grey hair framing a thoughtful expression, while a winged angel in a red garment hovers behind him, suggesting divine guidance. The composition balances human contemplation with celestial presence.
Subject & Meaning
The work visualizes the apostle’s role as a gospel writer, emphasizing the act of composition through the quill in his right hand. The angel’s attentive gaze and expansive wings convey inspiration from the heavenly realm, reinforcing the theological notion that the evangelist’s words are divinely inspired.
Technique & Style
Executed in oil on panel, the painting exhibits the Northern Renaissance’s characteristic attention to detail and fine surface texture. Van Leyden employs subtle chiaroscuro to model the figures, while the delicate rendering of fabrics and feathered wings demonstrates his mastery of rendering material qualities within a compact, narrative scene.
History & Provenance
The piece is attributed to Lucas van Leyden, a prominent Dutch painter and printmaker of the early sixteenth century. After remaining in private collections for several centuries, it entered the holdings of the Royal Museum of Fine Arts in Antwerp, where it is currently displayed as part of the museum’s Northern Renaissance holdings.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Lucas van Leyden (1494 – 8 August 1533), was a Dutch painter and printmaker in engraving and woodcut. Lucas van Leyden was among the first Dutch exponents of genre painting and was a very accomplished engraver.
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