I chose “The Martyrdom of Saint Matthew” as the painting that best illustrates the Baroque period. The reasons for my decision are clear in Caravaggio's painting. Here Caravaggio uses the entire canvas to illustrate complexity, flow and chiaroscuro. The painting depicts the lighting source coming from the left side of the plane. The brightest light focuses directly on Matteo's executioner who intends to strike Matteo with an ancient Balkan hand weapon. Caravaggio masterfully illustrates the use of lighting by casting believable shadows. For example, the shadow of the handle of the Balkan weapon is reflected on the executioner's left thigh and knee. Another shadow appears on the inside of the executioner's right thigh. The lighting source to the left of the executioner, the executioner, St. Matthew, the boy, the two observers at the bottom right, and the dimmer lighting at the top left of the canvas illustrate the technique of visual movement. The lighting is strategically placed, causing visual movement within the piece. For example, the lighting of the executioner's forearm directs my attention to the angel who appears to be handing St. Matthew a palm leaf. As a result, my eyes focus on the body of St. Matthew, lying at the bottom of the altar, then my eyes move towards the arm of the Corner. The lighting on the angel's arm contrasted with the darkness of the palm leaf forces the viewer to look at the hand to see what St. Matthew is looking for. The boy running away from the scene further attracts the viewer. The two adult observers at the bottom right of the painting are illuminated but not as bright as the two main characters. Next, my attention is drawn to the man lying on the lower steps, on the left side of the canvas… in the center of the paper… landscapes. The Baroque marked the time when painters considered using subjects other than scenes from the Bible and classical traditions. The Baroque period was also the time when artists painted portraits and scenes of everyday life. The Baroque artist moved away from the attempt to introduce calm balance to the artists of the Renaissance. Artists of the Baroque era were no longer interested in trying the extreme. They wanted to paint subjects that possessed strong emotions; they wanted to capture those emotions and feelings in their work. Sometimes, instead of being extreme feelings, these strong emotions were personal. More often artists sought to portray intense religious emotions. Baroque art attempted to explain how and why subjects adapted so strongly by representing their emotional states as vividly and analytically as possible..