St. Matthew

work by Michelangelo

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Last updated

July 13, 2026

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Michelangelo's St. Matthew was an unfinished sculpture intended for the Florence Cathedral. Begun in 1505, its dynamic, ecstatic motion reflects a blend of Leonardo da Vinci's fluid style and Michelangelo's powerful, monumental approach. The figure appears to struggle to emerge from the stone, a characteristic of many of Michelangelo's unfinished works that suggests an intentional exploration of the creative process and the inherent stresses in bringing a form out of raw material. This sculpture is a testament to Michelangelo's status as a preeminent artist of the Italian Renaissance.123

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Michelangelo
The middle years of Michelangelo
…of which only one, the St. Matthew, was even begun. Its writhing ecstatic motion shows the full blend of Leonardo’s fluid organic movement with Michelangelo’s own monumental power. This is also the first of Michelangelo’s unfinished works that have fascinated later observers. His figures seem to suggest that they are…
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…of which only one, the St. Matthew, was even begun. Its writhing ecstatic motion shows the full blend of Leonardo’s fluid organic movement with Michelangelo’s own monumental power. This is also the first of Michelangelo’s unfinished works that have fascinated later observers. His figures seem to suggest that they are…
Read More