Apostel Tomas met winkelhaak staand in nis 1517 - 1577

This is an engraving of the Apostle Thomas, made by an anonymous artist. Here, Thomas stands in a niche holding a book in one hand and a set square in the other. In Christian art, Thomas is often shown with a spear because tradition holds that he was martyred in India. This image departs from that tradition. Instead, Thomas holds a set square, the tool of a builder. Why? We can understand this choice if we remember that the medieval guilds adopted the apostles as their patron saints. Thomas was the patron of stonemasons and architects. This image reflects the importance of the guilds to the economic and social life of the Netherlands. Guilds regulated training, prices, and quality control. To fully understand this image, we might consult guild records and religious texts to explore the social and cultural significance of the Apostle Thomas in the Netherlands. The meaning of art is always contingent on social context.