Michelangelo Caravaggio, the great Baroque painter of the 17th century, was always an artist under scrutiny. His style, the subject of his paintings, and the way he chose to depict his subjects were often criticized and rejected by his patrons. In a newspaper article written by Troy Thomas, entitled "Expressive Aspects of the Early Inspiration of Caravaggio's Saint Matthew", these rejected paintings are discussed. The article focuses on the themes of these rejected works, but in particular the Inspiration of St. Matthew, and uses these themes to demonstrate the validity of the work. This painting is also compared and contrasted with other similar accepted works of the time, to demonstrate that the work was not in bad taste. Commissioned by Francesco Contarelli for the Church of San Luigi, Caravaggio's first attempt to represent the Inspiration of Saint Matthew was rejected by the clients for various reasons which underlined all the dictates of the Council of Trent. The opinion of church officials was that the painting did not express the level of decorum necessary for a work of religious art: St. Matthew's bare feet are shown for all to see, his appearance is old and wrinkled, and the expression his face expresses a certain illiteracy or ignorance. The angel, an androgynous and erotic figure, leans on Matthew and physically guides his hand to write the Hebrew script. This action was thought to portray Matthew as stupid and incapable of writing without direct guidance from the angel. The confused expression on the saint's face also added to this impression of illiteracy. In his article, Troy Thomas discusses these reasons for rejection and uses alternative interpretations to validate Caravaggio's work. First, the i...... half of paper ......which he had worn in Caravaggio's The Calling of Saint Matthew, and embraces the ascetic life of an apostle. In my opinion, the above are all reasons to accept the Inspiration of St. Matthew as a valid religious work. I agree with the author and believe that its expressive qualities make it an exceptional piece for a church, as it inspires in its viewers the very themes that Matthew personifies. Historically, Caravaggio's works have been criticized mercilessly, and his patrons have been known to insist on revised versions of his paintings. I believe it is Caravaggio's aggressively real style that gives an intense power and strong presence to his paintings. If his unconventional approach had been studied with a more open mind and embraced by patrons, I am sure he would have been able to truly express himself, which is art in its purest form.