Apostel Matthias before 1646

Curator: Christoffel van Sichem the Younger created this engraving, “Apostel Matthias,” sometime before 1646. It's currently held in the Rijksmuseum collection. Editor: Oh, my! He looks rather intense, doesn't he? All those cross-hatched lines create a really striking texture. He’s carrying an ax! Is that significant, or is it like… his gym equipment? Curator: Indeed. The layering of the engraving technique gives the figure depth and volume despite the monochrome palette. The ax symbolizes Matthias' martyrdom; tradition holds that he was beheaded. And note how the halo, delicately rendered, contrasts with the brutal weapon. Editor: A beheading! See, intense! The artist seems to have emphasized Matthias’ inner life somehow, maybe through his brow. He looks troubled, almost like he’s weighing his faith against something. Or maybe that’s just the heavy burden of the ax! Curator: The positioning of the book in his other hand is significant, creating a visual and symbolic balance to the instrument of execution. The text inscribed below serves as both identification and a commentary on the eternal life promised through faith, mirroring Matthias’ internal contemplation, and acting almost as a plinth framing the central figure, tying word and image tightly together. Editor: It’s an interesting paradox, isn't it? He’s holding the book so gently, the lines on his hands like little rivers, but beside the ax! It really is as if it holds death, rebirth, questioning and truth within that one little frame. It makes you think about all those things simultaneously. Curator: The piece engages with notions of sacrifice and devotion rendered through masterful use of line and form characteristic of Sichem's work and of baroque printmaking in general. This tightly controlled composition effectively draws our attention to the intersection of faith and mortal suffering. Editor: It has an impressive and enduring vitality. I mean, look at him with his terrible burden and halo. I’ll never see an ax the same way. Curator: A lasting testament to faith and artistic technique indeed. Editor: Agreed, a real gem that has certainly gotten under my skin!