The Apostle Simon 1618

Anthony van Dyck painted this oil on canvas depicting the Apostle Simon, one of Christ’s original twelve disciples. Simon is depicted holding a saw, the attribute by which he is recognised. Tradition holds that Simon preached the Gospel in the Middle East and was martyred by being sawn in pieces. But here’s what is interesting: the saw appears throughout history, not just as an instrument of martyrdom, but also of labour. Think of the saw as a symbol of human effort. It transcends cultures, evoking both creation and destruction. One can find the saw in ancient Egyptian carpentry scenes, and Medieval allegories of craftsmanship, each time imbuing the tool with different layers of meaning. The Martyrdom of Saint Simon conveys a powerful emotional charge, and the choice of the saw is no accident. It’s a visceral object, one that stirs deep-seated anxieties about pain, mortality, and the limits of the human body. Van Dyck’s painting taps into our collective memory, connecting us to a lineage of suffering and resilience that stretches back through the ages.