Study of St. Matthias his assailant to the painting ‘Martyrdom of St. Matthias’ 1866 - 1867

Curator: Józef Simmler's "Study of St. Matthias his assailant to the painting ‘Martyrdom of St. Matthias,’" created around 1866-1867. It’s a preparatory drawing done in pencil. Editor: Instantly, I sense this potent mix of anticipation and physical strain. His stance, like he's gathering every muscle to deliver something—maybe pain? The shading really amps up that feeling of contained power. Curator: Exactly, look at how Simmler captured the figure's dynamic pose, a deliberate contrapposto emphasizing the tension in his body. The drawing is all about lines—they define form but also energy. It anticipates the final painting’s drama. Editor: It's fascinating to see that rawness here, isn’t it? Almost feels more visceral than a finished painting ever could. I mean, you see every correction, every search for the right line, every shadow building on top of another. Did he make many changes or did he get this on his first go? Curator: Undoubtedly, this shows the artist’s thorough academic training, visible through the accurate proportions, skillful rendering of anatomy, and the expressive use of chiaroscuro. Look closely; there is evidence of adjustment around the head area, revealing Simmler was indeed meticulously working out the attacker’s final expression. Editor: You've nailed it. But you can't help wonder what was Simmler truly feeling as he etched out those lines. There's got to be something personal bubbling beneath all that careful construction, I believe. I almost think I prefer him here, this sketch shows what it means to try something without a safety net! Curator: Simmler's process shows that even the grandest history paintings are rooted in the study of form, anatomy, and emotion. This is what allows academic works to breathe! Editor: It's this raw vitality and those intense feelings, not perfection, that hook me in to Simmler’s way of seeing, here. It really speaks to how one builds a persona and a performance—and it makes me wanna know how that translates in the larger painting.