A bearded man in a vivid orange robe sits at a sturdy wooden desk, his body twisted as he looks up toward a winged angel who hovers above him. The man's right hand holds a quill poised above an open book, while his left hand steadies the edge of the desk, and his bare feet are planted on a simple wooden stool that tips forward, giving a sense of sudden movement. The angel, wrapped in a swirling white drapery, leans down from the upper left, one arm extended in a gesture of counting or enumeration, guiding Matthew's writing.

Both figures are sharply illuminated against a nearly black background, the light catching the folds of Matthew's robe and the angel's billowing cloth, creating strong contrasts typical of the Baroque style. The composition is tightly focused, with the two figures dominating the scene and the dark void behind them heightening their presence. The scene is set in a sparse, undefined space, with no architectural or landscape elements to distract from the dramatic encounter between saint and angel.

The lower left corner of the painting reveals the sturdy legs and crossbars of the wooden desk, rendered in warm brown tones. A strong shaft of light falls diagonally from the upper left, highlighting the man's forehead, cheek, and the folds of his orange robe, while casting deep shadows beneath the desk and stool. The angel's billowing drapery is painted with loose, sweeping brushstrokes, creating a sense of airy movement against the stark, undefined black background. The Inspiration of Saint Matthew was painted in 1602 by Caravaggio, a leading figure of the Baroque movement.