A barefoot, bearded man in a vivid orange robe sits perched on a wooden bench, his body twisting toward a winged angel who hovers above him in a swirl of white drapery. The man's right hand clutches a quill poised over an open book on the desk, while his left hand steadies the page, suggesting he is in the act of writing. His head turns sharply upward, eyes wide and mouth slightly parted, as if startled or transfixed by the sudden appearance of the angel.

The angel, with youthful features and curling hair, leans down from the upper left, one arm outstretched and finger extended, as if enumerating or dictating instructions to the man below. The entire scene is set against a deep, almost black background, which isolates the two figures and intensifies the effect of the strong, directional light that falls from the upper left, illuminating the folds of the robe and the angel's flesh. The light glances off the saint's bald forehead, nose, and hands, and picks out the texture of the wood and the thick, expressive brushwork in the drapery.

The saint's bench tilts precariously forward, with one leg off the ground, projecting into the viewer's space and heightening the sense of immediacy and tension. The composition is tightly focused, with the figures dominating the frame and little to distract from their interaction, while the color scheme is anchored by the warm orange and flesh tones set against the dark void. The Inspiration of Saint Matthew belongs to the Baroque movement, characterized by dramatic contrasts of light and shadow, dynamic compositions, and a heightened sense of realism.