Saint Matthew holding a pouch 1510 - 1532

"Saint Matthew holding a pouch" is an engraving by Marco Dente created sometime between 1510 and 1532. The artwork, housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, depicts Saint Matthew, one of the twelve apostles of Jesus, in a standing pose. He is shown with a halo, a symbol of his sanctity, and holds a pouch, a reference to his traditional association with collecting taxes. Dente, a renowned Italian engraver, employed masterful shading and cross-hatching techniques to render the saint's figure with remarkable detail, enhancing the visual impact of this iconic religious subject.