Nanni Del Mastro - Saint Matthew and the Angel

The iconography of this painting is very popular in cycles dedicated to Saint Matthew. The scene shows the former tax collector, later become an apostle, intent on writing his gospel under the dictation of an angel. The same angel holds up a book containing, in Latin, the beginning of the Gospel of Matthew, with the genealogy of Christ.

An extremely eclectic figure in the artistic world, Nanni del Mastro fueled his pictorial production with numerous sources, among which inspiration from the art of the past undoubtedly stands out. In the case of this Saint Matthew, there is a clear reference to the 15th-century Renaissance tradition, in the definition of an aesthetic ideal, harmonious yet monumental, undoubtedly inspired by Mantegna or Bramante. The space of the niche, which contains and enhances the saint's plasticity, is indicative of this. Nanni del Mastro's interpretation of the ancient model, however, is always original and personal. His pictorial style, characterized by a lean and objectifying form, is distinctive. The exaltation of the figure's plastic qualities predominates, through a compact brushstroke and a markedly structured design. The palette, distinguished by the use of intense, bright colors, is highly evocative.

Nanni Del Mastro was a painter born in Venice in 1899 and died in Turin in 1960. Del Mastro is distinguished by his simple and direct style, which embodies a genuinely realistic conception of artistic creation. In his work, sensory elements are not idealized but rather reproduced as they are in reality. For this reason, his figurative language draws on life-like reproduction but is distinguished by a certain impressionistic style that brings vivacity and immediacy to the representation. In some works, Nanni del Mastro also draws inspiration from the art of the past, particularly the Renaissance, demonstrating a more classical approach.

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