The Calling of St. Matthew

The Calling of St. Matthew by Hendrick ter Brugghen (1621)

Artist’s Background and Significance

Hendrick ter Brugghen (1588–1629) stands as a seminal figure among the Dutch Caravaggisti—a group of painters who, inspired by the bold style of Caravaggio, introduced dramatic realism, tenebrism, and new ways of depicting religious themes to the Dutch Golden Age. Born in The Hague and later active in Utrecht, ter Brugghen’s career was shaped by his time spent in Italy, particularly Rome, where he would have witnessed the transformative works of Caravaggio firsthand. Upon returning to the Netherlands, he became one of the foremost proponents of Caravaggesque naturalism, influencing contemporaries such as Gerrit van Honthorst and Dirck van Baburen.

Historical Context of the Artwork

“The Calling of St. Matthew,” painted in 1621, was created during a period of growing religious pluralism in the Dutch Republic. While the Counter-Reformation was prompting Catholic artists and patrons elsewhere in Europe to commission emotionally charged, didactic artworks, the Protestant-dominated Dutch provinces saw increasing interest in religious subjects interpreted through the lens of everyday life and vigorous humanity. Ter Brugghen’s painting represents both the transference of Italian Baroque sensibilities and the distinctive spirit of Dutch realism.

Subject-wise, the painting represents a scene from the Gospel of Matthew (Matthew 9:9), where Jesus calls on the tax collector Matthew to follow Him. It is a story of unlikely grace and the transformative encounter with the divine—resonant for a society wrestling with sin, redemption, and the role of faith in the modern world.

Religious and Cultural Significance

The calling of St. Matthew was a favored subject in post-Tridentine Catholic art, given its celebration of redemption and vocation. In Protestant Holland, however, religious art was typically private, aimed at personal edification rather than public devotion. Ter Brugghen’s version, while echoing the dramatic compositions of Caravaggio, speaks to a broader Christian audience, emphasizing personal conversion and the possibility of spiritual renewal regardless of station in life.

The setting—a Dutch tavern-like counting house—is a pointed localization, connecting the ancient Biblical episode to the artist’s own society. Through this, ter Brugghen underscores the timeless relevance of Matthew’s transformation, inviting contemporary viewers to identify with the call to grace.

Symbolism and Iconography

The painting’s iconography is rich and subtly rendered. Matthew is depicted at a table with other tax collectors, surrounded by coins and account books. He is shown in the act of tallying—absorbed in the affairs of the material world—when Jesus, illuminated and accompanied by St. Peter, gestures toward him. The sign of selection, marked by Christ’s hand and a shaft of light, echoes Caravaggio’s famous rendition but with a distinctly Northern character.

Light serves both a literal and symbolic function. It delineates the figures against a shadowy background, marking the moment of spiritual awakening. The presence of coins and mundane objects points to the worldliness Matthew must leave behind—a familiar Caravaggesque motif underscoring the “before” and “after” of conversion.

Ter Brugghen also imbues each figure with individualized expression: astonishment, confusion, and dawning understanding play across their faces, dramatizing the tension between the call of the world and the call of Christ.

Artistic Techniques Used

Ter Brugghen’s mastery of oil on canvas, exemplified in this painting, rests on his synthesis of Italian Baroque and Dutch realism. He adopts tenebrism from Caravaggio, employing a strong contrast between light and dark to heighten emotional impact and focus attention on the key narrative moment. The dramatic illumination does not simply describe forms but constructs meaning, signifying divine intervention.

Color and composition are equally important. Ter Brugghen’s palette combines deep, sober earth tones with flashes of brighter color that draw the eye across the canvas. His arrangement is carefully balanced: the figures are grouped in a dynamic arc, creating a sense of immediacy and even theatricality.

His brushwork is both meticulous and expressive. Fabrics, skin, and objects are rendered with tactile clarity, but the brushstrokes also convey a sense of spontaneity, especially in the faces and gestures. The result is a scene at once rooted in daily life and dramatically elevated beyond it.

Cultural Impact

“The Calling of St. Matthew” became an influential model for later artists within and beyond the Netherlands. Ter Brugghen’s fusion of Caravaggist drama with local traditions inspired the Utrecht Caravaggisti and pointed the way for Rembrandt and other masters of Dutch narrative painting. His ability to render powerful spiritual experiences in familiar settings helped bridge the gap between sacred history and contemporary reality.

Though not as widely known as Caravaggio’s version, ter Brugghen’s painting remains a touchstone for understanding the crosscurrents of faith, art, and society in early 17th-century Europe. It showcases how the Baroque idiom, far from being monolithic, was refracted through local cultures to produce works of enduring psychological and spiritual depth.

Sources

• Liedtke, Walter. Dutch Paintings in The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Volume 1. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2007.
• Wheelock, Arthur K. Jr. Hendrick Ter Brugghen: Master of the Haarlem Caravaggisti. National Gallery of Art, 1988.
• Metropolitan Museum of Art. "The Calling of St. Matthew." metmuseum.org
• Slatkes, Leonard J. Hendrick Ter Brugghen, 1588–1629: Catalogue Raisonné. Davaco, 2007.
• National Gallery of Art Washington. "The Calling of Saint Matthew by Hendrick ter Brugghen." nga.gov