Caravaggio's 'Resurrection of Lazarus' as a mirror of 'Calling of St Matthew'
The article offers a close reading of Caravaggio's 'Resurrection of Lazarus', arguing it is a specular double of his earlier 'Calling of St Matthew' in the Contarelli Chapel. The author notes that while the 'Calling' reads from right to left, 'Lazarus' reads from left to right. The tomb depicted is a contemporary ground-level tomb, unlike the Gospel's cave, and includes abundant bones and skulls reminiscent of relics of St Placidus and companions discovered decades earlier in Messina. Christ's arm and pointing finger echo Michelangelo's Adam in the Sistine Chapel. The author identifies the young man counting coins in the 'Calling' as the true Levi (Matthew), not the man pointing to himself. The piece reflects on Caravaggio's identification with the dead and indifferent, through whom God writes history.
Key facts
- The article compares Caravaggio's 'Resurrection of Lazarus' to his 'Calling of St Matthew'.
- The 'Resurrection of Lazarus' is described as a specular double of the 'Calling of St Matthew'.
- In 'Calling of St Matthew', the reading proceeds from right to left; in 'Resurrection of Lazarus', it proceeds from left to right.
- The tomb in 'Resurrection of Lazarus' is a ground-level tomb, not a cave as in the Gospel.
- The tomb contains bones and skulls similar to those of St Placidus and companions found in Messina.
- Christ's arm and pointing finger in 'Resurrection of Lazarus' are identical to those of Adam in Michelangelo's 'Creation of Adam'.
- The author argues that the young man counting coins in 'Calling of St Matthew' is the true Levi (Matthew).
- The article suggests Caravaggio identified with the dead and indifferent.
- The author mentions Caravaggio's siblings: Caterina, Giovan Pietro, and Giovanni Battista.
- Caravaggio refused to meet one of his brothers who became a priest.
Entities
Artists
- Caravaggio
- Michelangelo
Institutions
- Cappella Contarelli
- Cappella Cerasi
- Cappella Sistina
- Chiesa di San Giovanni di Malta
- Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum
Locations
- Rome
- Messina
- Malta
- Italy