The paintings in the Contarelli Chapel form a group of three large-format canvases painted by Caravaggio between 1599 and 1602, initially commissioned by Cardinal Matteo Contarelli for the church of San Luigi dei Francesi in Rome, and eventually honored after his death by his executors. The intervention of Cardinal Del Monte, Caravaggio's patron, was decisive in obtaining this contract, which was the most significant of the painter's young career when he was not yet 30. The works evoke three major stages in the life of Saint Matthew: his calling by Christ (The Calling of Saint Matthew), his writing of his Gospel guided by an angel (The Inspiration of Saint Matthew), and his martyrdom (The Martyrdom of Saint Matthew).
Italian painter Caravaggio gets his first public commission, the Contarelli Chapel in the church of San Luigi dei France
Italian painter Caravaggio gets his first public commission, the Contarelli Chapel in the church of San Luigi dei Francesi, Rome
Historical Significance
The paintings in the Contarelli Chapel form a group of three large-format canvases painted by Caravaggio between 1599 and 1602, initially commissioned by Cardinal Matteo Contarelli for the church of San Luigi dei Francesi in Rome, and eventually honored after his death by his executors.
Events Before
Countess Charlotte of Nassau marries duke Claude de la Tremoille
Countess Charlotte of Nassau marries duke Claude de la Tremoille
Edict of Nantes grants political rights to French Huguenots
The Edict of Nantes was an edict signed in April 1598 by King Henry IV of France that granted the Calvinist Protestants of France, also known as Huguenots, substantial rights in the nation, which was…
Battle of Noryang Point: In the final naval battle of the Imjin War, the allied Korean and Chinese fleets decisively def
Battle of Noryang Point: In the final naval battle of the Imjin War, the allied Korean and Chinese fleets decisively defeat the Japanese
Boris Godunov seizes Russian throne on death of Feodor I
Boris Feodorovich Godunov was the de facto regent of Russia from 1585 to 1598 and then tsar from 1598 to 1605 following the death of Feodor I, the last of the Rurik dynasty.
Jews are expelled from Genoa, Italy
Jews are expelled from Genoa, Italy
Events After
Scotland begins its numbered year on January 1 instead of March 25
A leap year (also known as an intercalary year or bissextile year) is a calendar year that contains an additional day (or, in the case of a lunisolar calendar, a month) compared to a common year.
Peruvian stratovolcano Huaynaputina explodes in the most violent eruption in South American recorded history
Peruvian stratovolcano Huaynaputina explodes in the most violent eruption in South American recorded history
Marriage by proxy of Marie de' Medici and Henry IV of France
Marie de' Medici (French: Marie de Médicis; Italian: Maria de' Medici; 26 April 1575 – 3 July 1642) was Queen of France and Navarre as the second wife of King Henry IV.
Religious wedding of Henry IV of France and Marie de' Medici at Lyon Cathedral
Marie de' Medici (French: Marie de Médicis; Italian: Maria de' Medici; 26 April 1575 – 3 July 1642) was Queen of France and Navarre as the second wife of King Henry IV.
French King Henri IV grants military captain Pierre Chauvin de Tonnetuit a ten-year commission for the fur trade in New
French King Henri IV grants military captain Pierre Chauvin de Tonnetuit a ten-year commission for the fur trade in New France - he goes on to found doomed colony of Tadoussac [1]
More from the 1590s
Korean naval commander Admiral Yi Sun-sin begins his famous war diary "Nanjung ilgi" (included in UNESCO's Memory of the
Korean naval commander Admiral Yi Sun-sin begins his famous war diary "Nanjung ilgi" (included in UNESCO's Memory of the World 2013) [1]
Jacob van Neck's fleet leaves Bantam, Java in modern-day Indonesia with 1 million pounds of pepper and cloves and a furt
Jacob van Neck's fleet leaves Bantam, Java in modern-day Indonesia with 1 million pounds of pepper and cloves and a further half a ship full of nutmeg, mace and cinnamon
King Naresuan of Siam kills Crown Prince Minchit Sra of Burma in single combat, date is now observed as Royal Thai Armed
King Naresuan of Siam kills Crown Prince Minchit Sra of Burma in single combat, date is now observed as Royal Thai Armed Forces Day
William Shakespeare's play "Romeo and Juliet" is thought to have been first performed; officially published early 1597
William Shakespeare's play "Romeo and Juliet" is thought to have been first performed; officially published early 1597
Frequently Asked Questions
- What happened on July 23, 1599?
- The paintings in the Contarelli Chapel form a group of three large-format canvases painted by Caravaggio between 1599 and 1602, initially commissioned by Cardinal Matteo Contarelli for the church of San Luigi dei Francesi in Rome, and eventually honored after his death by his executors. The intervention of Cardinal Del Monte, Caravaggio's patron, was decisive in obtaining this contract, which was the most significant of the painter's young career when he was not yet 30. The works evoke three major stages in the life of Saint Matthew: his calling by Christ (The Calling of Saint Matthew), his writing of his Gospel guided by an angel (The Inspiration of Saint Matthew), and his martyrdom (The Martyrdom of Saint Matthew).
- Why is Italian painter Caravaggio gets his first public commission, the Contarelli C... significant?
- The paintings in the Contarelli Chapel form a group of three large-format canvases painted by Caravaggio between 1599 and 1602, initially commissioned by Cardinal Matteo Contarelli for the church of San Luigi dei Francesi in Rome, and eventually honored after his death by his executors.