Evangelist Matteüs c. 1590 - 1637

Curator: Here we have Egbert van Panderen's engraving, "Evangelist Matthew," dating from around 1590 to 1637, now held at the Rijksmuseum. It’s a classic example of Baroque printmaking. Editor: Oh, immediately striking. He looks almost… bothered, doesn’t he? Like someone just interrupted his train of thought, even with the angel whispering sweet nothings... divine words... into his ear. And is that an hourglass? Time's a-wastin', Matthew! Curator: Yes, that interruption is key to understanding the depiction. These depictions of Evangelists always show them at work but in the presence of their inspirator, usually an angel or Holy Spirit figure. And, yes, the hourglass adds the conventional *memento mori* feel. Editor: Baroque does drama so well, doesn't it? The detail in the face, all those tiny lines etching out wisdom, or weariness—it’s beautiful. And unsettling, maybe because that angel looks like he's selling Matthew a timeshare. "You too can live eternally—if you write THIS down." Curator: Indeed! Panderen was operating within a well-established visual tradition for illustrating the Gospels. The Baroque style amplified the emotional and spiritual intensity inherent in these subjects. The composition also places the figures centrally to bring across the full gravity. The work’s message is less about “selling” something, however, and more about illustrating a direct line from God to the mortal hand. Editor: True, true. Still, there’s a human element that transcends the purely religious. He seems reluctant; I’d prefer him not in that mode of surrender but of defiance; of creation, against some odds or other, but here the angel directs him on... Still, those bulging veins, that furrowed brow… You feel the weight of the task on this guy. Even if he's inspired. Curator: Absolutely, that tension is central to its artistic appeal and why such imagery persisted throughout the Early Modern era. Editor: Right. It all makes me wonder what Matthew REALLY thought as he wrote it all down, but what do I know? Curator: Precisely! A wonderful insight indeed, and maybe why such images appeal. Editor: Well, it makes me grateful I’m not transcribing holy scriptures with an angel breathing down my neck! Curator: A sentiment many an author, and artist, can identify with.