thumb|upright=1.2|Judith Beheading Holofernes, 1599–1602, Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Antica, RomeHis first version of Saint Matthew and the Angel, featuring the saint as a bald peasant with dirty legs attended by a lightly clad over-familiar boy-angel, was rejected and a second version had to be painted as The Inspiration of Saint Matthew. Similarly, The Conversion of Saint Paul was rejected, and while another version of the same subject, the Conversion on the Way to Damascus, was accepted, it featured the saint's horse's haunches far more prominently than the saint himself, prompting this exchange between the artist and an exasperated official of Santa Maria del Popolo: "Why have you put a horse in the middle, and Saint Paul on the ground?" "Because!" "Is the horse God?" "No, but he stands in God's light!"Quoted without attribution in Lambert, p.66.
thumb|upright=12|judith beheading holofernes 1599–1602 galleria nazionale d'arte antica romehis first version of saint matthew and the angel featuring the saint as a bald peasant with dirty legs attended by a lightly clad over-familiar boy-angel was rejected and a second version had to be painted as the inspiration of saint matthew similarly the conversion of saint paul was rejected and while another version of the same subject the conversion on the way to damascus was accepted it featured the saint's horse's haunches far more prominently than the saint himself prompting this exchange between the artist and an exasperated official of santa maria del popolo "why have you put a horse in the middle and saint paul on the ground" "because" "is the horse god" "no but he stands in god's light"quoted without attribution in lambert p66