Saint Matthew 1886 - 1894

James Tissot painted Saint Matthew in the late 19th century, a period when religious art was often used to reinforce conservative social values. In this work, the artist imagines Saint Matthew as a solemn figure, set against a blurred, natural backdrop. Tissot was French, but he spent a significant part of his career in England, a country still deeply influenced by the Victorian moral code. The image may reference the renewed interest in biblical subjects in both France and England. Was this part of a broader movement to reaffirm religious and social hierarchies? To understand the painting better, we can look at the religious context of the time, as well as the history of religious art. The role of the art historian is to situate such images within their complex web of cultural and institutional meanings. Doing so helps reveal how art reflects and shapes the societies in which it's made.