Saint Matthew, also known as Levi, was a tax collector before being called by Jesus to join the Twelve Apostles. His vocation from a profession associated with collaboration and social marginality became a powerful example of conversion and discipleship in the Gospel narrative. Matthew is traditionally identified as the author of the Gospel bearing his name, which places particular emphasis on Christ as the fulfilment of Old Testament prophecy.

According to later Christian tradition, Matthew undertook missionary preaching beyond the eastern Mediterranean, with accounts variously placing his activity in Ethiopia or Persia. He is said to have been martyred, though the circumstances of his death differ across traditions. His dual identity as apostle and evangelist shaped both his cult and his prominence in Christian teaching and art.

Saint Matthew in Art

Saint Matthew appears in Christian art both as an apostle and as an evangelist. In narrative scenes he is often shown at the moment of his calling, seated at the tax booth as Christ summons him to follow, a subject that allowed artists to explore themes of repentance and transformation. He also appears among the Twelve in apostolic cycles and Last Supper imagery.

As an evangelist, Matthew is frequently depicted writing or holding his Gospel, commonly accompanied by his symbolic attribute, the winged man or angel. In later medieval and Renaissance art, this evangelist imagery often predominates, emphasising his authority as a witness to Christ’s life and teaching. His iconography thus reflects both his personal conversion and his role in transmitting the Gospel.