Saint Matthias c. 1595

Curator: This is Zacharias Dolendo's engraving, Saint Matthias. It's quite small, only about 15 centimeters square, and currently resides in the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: It has a somber, almost weighty feel, despite its diminutive size. The textures are really striking. Curator: Matthias replaced Judas, and the halberd he holds became his symbolic attribute. The book signifies his apostolic teachings. Editor: It’s interesting how Dolendo uses Matthias's aged features – the furrowed brow, the long beard – to convey authority and perhaps wisdom. How would his audience at the time perceive this depiction? Curator: The print medium allowed for wider dissemination of such imagery, reinforcing the Church's authority through readily available visual representations of saints. Editor: Yes, and it's powerful how an object like this, even reproduced, creates a direct link across centuries, making those beliefs still palpable today.