BERNARD VERSCHOOT (1728-1783).
"Saint Matthew the Evangelist and his Apostle", c. 1750.
Oil on canvas. Re-tinted.
It presents restorations.
Measurements: 64 x 75 cm.
In spite of the devotional theme of this painting that represents St. Matthew with an apostle, the author avoids any religious iconography in such a way that he presents the characters in an everyday way, dressed in a truthful and fashionable way without relying on an anachronistic style. The piece, which stands out for its sobriety and forcefulness, presents us with the two protagonists bust-length, a scene that is cut off by the barely perceptible presence of the table on which the Gospel rests. The apostle is immersed in the reading in profile to the viewer and in the foreground with respect to Saint Matthew who is facing him, although his gesture with his hand to support his face and his self-absorbed gaze show us a figure absorbed in his own thoughts who does not notice either the viewer or the figure standing next to him. Both figures, which despite being together are completely independent, show a great contrast that can be appreciated in the tonalities with which they have been captured, one with pastel colours and the other with ochre and earthy tones, although it should be noted that both maintain a great three-dimensionality and volume that is enhanced by the neutral finish of the background of the scene.
Saint Matthew the Evangelist was one of the twelve apostles chosen by Jesus and, according to Christian tradition, the author of the Gospel that bears his name. He is mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles, and also in Luke's Gospel, under the name of Levi. Matthew is identified with a winged man or angel, a symbol of the tetramorph of the prophet Ezekiel.