Artwork
Saint Simon
Saint Simon is an ink print by the Renaissance artist Hans Baldung Grien. It dates from 1519 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Hans Baldung Grien’s woodcut *Saint Simon* dates from 1519 and belongs to a series of apostle images produced in the early sixteenth century. Executed in black‑and‑white relief, the print presents a bearded figure in a robe, holding a saw—a traditional attribute of the martyr Saint Simon. The composition is set against a plain beige field, with a subtle halo indicating sanctity.
Subject & Meaning
The central figure is identified as Saint Simon the Zealot, one of the twelve apostles, whose martyrdom is traditionally linked to a saw. The clasped hands suggest prayer or acceptance of his fate, while the halo underscores his holy status. The work serves both as a devotional image and as a visual identifier for the saint within a broader series of apostolic portraits.
Technique & Style
Baldung employs the woodcut medium with fine line work, achieving notable detail in the facial features, beard, and drapery despite the constraints of carved wood. The rendering reflects the influence of Albrecht Dürer, evident in the precise contours and balanced composition, while also displaying Baldung’s characteristic imaginative flair and a slightly exaggerated, expressive quality typical of early German Mannerism.
History & Provenance
Created during Baldung’s mature period, the print was likely produced for circulation among the growing market for devotional prints in the Holy Roman Empire. It forms part of a larger apostle series intended for private contemplation or liturgical use. Surviving copies are held in several European collections, attesting to the work’s distribution and preservation since the early 1500s.
Context
By adapting a traditional saint’s iconography to a portable, reproducible format, Baldung contributed to the wider accessibility of sacred imagery.
*Saint Simon* illustrates the intersection of religious narrative and emerging print technology in the German Renaissance. By adapting a traditional saint’s iconography to a portable, reproducible format, Baldung contributed to the wider accessibility of sacred imagery. The piece exemplifies the period’s blend of Dürer’s technical rigor with Baldung’s inventive approach, influencing subsequent printmakers who explored expressive detail within the woodcut medium.
Artist & collection
Artist
Hans Baldung (1484 or 1485 – September 1545), called Hans Baldung Grien, (being an early nickname, because of his predilection for the colour green), was a painter, printer, engraver, draftsman, and stained glass…
