Artwork
Saint Simon
Saint Simon is an ink print by the Renaissance artist Lucas van Leyden. It dates from 1510 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Lucas van Leyden’s engraving titled *Saint Simon* dates to roughly 1510.
Lucas van Leyden’s engraving titled *Saint Simon* dates to roughly 1510. Executed in black‑line copperplate, the print presents a solitary figure of the apostle, rendered in a restrained composition that emphasizes his solemn demeanor. The work exemplifies early 16th‑century Northern European printmaking, a medium increasingly employed to circulate devotional images beyond the confines of painted altarpieces.
Subject & Meaning
The figure is identified as Saint Simon the Zealot, recognizable by the saw he holds—a reference to the instrument of his traditional martyrdom. A luminous halo crowns his head, signalling sanctity, while his bare feet and simple robes underscore humility. The direct gaze and serious expression invite contemplation of the saint’s steadfast faith and ultimate sacrifice.
Technique & Style
Van Leyden employs fine, cross‑hatching and delicate line work to model the folds of the robe and the texture of the hair and beard. The engraving’s clear, uncluttered background focuses attention on the saint, a compositional choice common in his prints. The precision of the saw’s teeth and the subtle gradations of tone demonstrate the artist’s mastery of the copperplate medium.
History & Provenance
Created when van Leyden was in his mid‑teens, the print belongs to a period when religious prints were mass‑produced for private devotion and pilgrimage. Though the original copperplate has not survived, surviving impressions are held in several European collections, attesting to the work’s wide distribution and its role in the spread of apostolic iconography during the Reformation era.
Artist & collection
Artist
Lucas van Leyden (1494 – 8 August 1533), was a Dutch painter and printmaker in engraving and woodcut. Lucas van Leyden was among the first Dutch exponents of genre painting and was a very accomplished engraver.
Salome with the head of St John the Baptist
The Virgin and Child
Worship of the Golden Calf
A Game of Chess
Mary with Child, St. Maria Magdalena and founder (separate outside, Inv. No. 7713)
Inner left wing of a diptych with Christ as the Man of Sorrows
Inner right wing of a diptych with the Virgin as Mater Dolorosa
Annunciation
