Saint Matthew

Saint Matthew by Simone Martini, executed between 1315 and 1320, is a masterful example of early Italian Trecento painting. The work, rendered in tempera on panel, belongs to the Sienese School, renowned for its highly refined aesthetic and delicate draftsmanship. Created during the crucial period of artistic development spanning from 1300 to 1400, this panel originally formed a component of a much larger structure, likely a complex altarpiece commissioned for the Duomo in Siena, alongside panels depicting other saints and narratives.

The piece exemplifies the sophisticated technique of the Sienese master. Martini’s use of tempera on panel necessitates meticulous execution, resulting in the brilliant coloration and crisp linear detail visible across the surface. Typical of early fourteenth-century devotional art, the painting utilized extensive gold leaf, which served both a symbolic function, representing divine light, and a practical purpose, enhancing the visual richness of the object when viewed in low light. Martini’s treatment of the saint emphasizes graceful elongation and elegant contours, characteristic features of the Sienese interpretation of the Gothic style that distinguished it sharply from the developing naturalism in Florence during the same era.

This fragment offers invaluable insight into the artistic output of the Sienese master and the standards of Italian medieval craftsmanship. The painting, likely depicting the evangelist holding the Gospel he authored, survives as a crucial document of the early Renaissance period. Today, the work is part of the distinguished collection housed at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. Recognizing the historical and artistic significance of this piece, high-resolution images and prints derived from the artwork, which is now considered part of the public domain, are widely available, allowing students and scholars worldwide to study the technique and stylistic innovations of Martini outside the museum setting.