Saint Thomas c. 17th century

Curator: Here we have Jacob Neeffs' "Saint Thomas," housed here at the Harvard Art Museums. Neeffs, born in 1610, captures a brutal scene of martyrdom. Editor: The composition is incredibly dynamic, bodies lunging, twisting... the energy practically leaps off the paper. You can almost feel the weight of the stones raised to strike. Curator: Indeed. Neeffs places this martyrdom within a specific visual and theological tradition, focusing on the saint's suffering as a testament to faith. Editor: And the materiality of the print itself—the dense network of lines creating such a stark contrast between light and shadow. I wonder what kind of tools Neeffs employed to achieve such detail. Curator: The print medium allowed for widespread dissemination. Neeffs’ image contributed to the visual rhetoric of martyrdom, reinforcing religious power structures. Editor: I’m also struck by the cherubs, their presence creates an odd contrast with the violence, a sort of saccharine counterpoint to the very earthbound realities of the saint's execution. Curator: A striking paradox, certainly. It showcases how images can be deeply embedded in power structures and religious ideology. Editor: Seeing the process and materials considered alongside this historical context certainly shifts how I see the piece.