Saint Simon; Saint Jude Thaddeus before 1585

Curator: This bound sheet at the Harvard Art Museums presents two engravings: Saint Simon and Saint Jude Thaddeus, by Anton Wierix II. Look closely at the pair. What's your first impression? Editor: Visually, the two figures feel disparate. There's a certain awkwardness in their rendering, particularly the poses and rather crude action happening in the background. Curator: Indeed. The engravings showcase Wierix's intricate linework, using hatching and cross-hatching to define form and shadow. Notice how the figures are framed by halos. Editor: I'm drawn to the textures implied through the engraving process itself: the feel of the paper, the bite of the tool. And what are these saints doing—or being subjected to? Curator: Saint Simon is depicted with a saw, referencing his martyrdom, while Jude Thaddeus holds a club, another instrument of martyrdom, set against a background of conflict. Editor: Knowing they're instruments of death gives them an almost visceral quality. The labor of crafting these images, the implied suffering—it all feels very grounded. Curator: The prints underscore the period's religious fervor and the symbolic power imbued in these figures through composition and line. Editor: For me, it highlights the material conditions of belief. The act of creation, the dissemination of these images... belief isn’t abstract; it's made.