Saint Andrew standing in profile holding a large cross from a series of 'Twelve Apostles' 1535 - 1545

This pen drawing by the Italian artist Antonio da Trento is a study for one of his larger paintings of the Twelve Apostles. The figure of Saint Andrew stands in profile, holding the large cross with which he was martyred. The dramatic, almost agitated, pose of the figure is rendered with great detail and conveys a sense of the saint's piety and suffering. The artist has used hatching and crosshatching to create tonal variations in the figure, which is framed by a geometric background that emphasizes the central subject of the drawing. This drawing, which is part of a series of twelve apostles, is a beautiful example of Renaissance-era draftsmanship. The drawing is housed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, NY.