17th century Italian school

Italian school of the 17th century.
"Saint Matthew".
Oil on canvas.
Presents faults in the frame.
Measurements: 120 x 98 cm; 138 x 115 cm (frame).

For its subject matter and style we can place this painting within the naturalistic baroque school of the seventeenth century knowledgeable of the work of José de Ribera, a key painter belonging to the generation of the great masters of the Golden Age, formed in Italy in a self-taught way. The work of this artist will bring the tenebrism and, later, the full baroque, long before it arrived directly to Spain, thus influencing the new generations of painters. In this painting the artist represents St. Matthew with the book, wearing a sumptuous red mantle of baroque heritage.