Apostel Mattias 1616 - 1636

This is Nicolaes Ryckmans’s “Apostel Mattias,” an engraving now held at the Rijksmuseum. The print presents a study in contrasts, dominated by the starkness of the black ink against the paper. The figure of Saint Matthias emerges dramatically through the engraver's dense networks of lines and shading. Ryckmans uses the formal qualities of light and dark to invite contemplation of Matthias, who is often depicted with an axe, the instrument of his martyrdom. The engraving uses hatching and cross-hatching to model form and texture, from the saint’s cloak to the details of his beard and the metallic sheen of the axe. The composition directs your eyes upward, following the saint's gaze towards the heavens. Ryckmans's graphic style reflects an interest in using the print medium to engage with themes of faith, sacrifice, and divine calling, asking us to reflect on the material and symbolic weight of Matthias's calling.