Three of the most famous Caravaggio paintings in Rome are in the Contarelli Chapel of the San Luigi dei Francesi church. This cycle on the life of Saint Matthew included the first altar painting and major public commission for Caravaggio and helped to establish him as one of Rome’s foremost artists in the early 17th century. The paintings are The Calling of Saint Matthew, The Inspiration of Saint Matthew, and The Martyrdom of Saint Matthew.