e and popular works.Art historians have discussed the figures that are witnessing the murder at length for years. About half of the figures are clothed and the rest are depicted as mostly nude. This fact has given rise to several hypotheses. One idea suggests that Matthew was giving the sacrament of Baptism to the nudes in the painting, along with their witnesses at their sides. A young boy is seen at the bottom right of the work, turning and overwhelmed with fear. On the left, several figures are shown, backing away from the act with a sense of terror in their body languages and expressions. One of these figures, the man with the beard, is actually thought to be none other than Caravaggio himself. Art conisseurers believe that this is actually his self-portrait inside the scene. Above the suffering Saint, sits and angel on a cloud, that is handing some palm to him. Also, the bottom right half of the painting is brighter than the rest of the painting, since it is the best position to catch visitors eyes. This aspect of the painting took careful thought and planning. The position of these paintings in the Chapel, the lights source, and the tone and darkness of the painting make the work hard to see. The brighter light used at the bottom corner draws people to the painting, which is very important in this situation. This painting was actually repainted to its present condition. Special x-ray photography shows that the previous work was much different. The figures were much smaller in the first composition, and they were situated towards the bottom of the work. This did not match the size and style of the Calling of St. Matthew, which hangs directly next to this work. Also, the first composition was less gruesome, and depicted a less violent scene. Although this painting was going to hang in a Chapel, it was customary at this time to have paintings portray such vile sights of martyrs. For these reasons, Caravaggio pain...
