Apostle Jude 1621

Anthony van Dyck painted this oil on canvas, Apostle Jude, sometime in the early 17th century. Van Dyck was a leading light in the Flemish Baroque tradition, where religious imagery was used by the Catholic Church in the wake of the Protestant Reformation to reaffirm its spiritual authority. Here, Van Dyck has depicted the apostle Jude as an ordinary, working man, replete with weathered skin and humble garb. This is typical of the period, which saw an explosion in naturalism. But how much of this was really naturalistic? Remember that the social function of painting at this time was to elevate its subjects. Even the most humble of saints had to conform to certain visual codes to convey the proper degree of reverence and respect. To truly understand this painting, we must turn to the historical record, analyzing the political, economic, and religious forces that shaped its creation and reception. The meaning of art is always contingent on its social and institutional context.