Saint Matthias 1317 - 1319

Simone Martini’s Saint Matthias was made with tempera and gold leaf on wood, likely around the 1320s. The gold is particularly important. It's not just decoration, but a signifier of value and a testament to the investment made in this object. The gold would have been applied meticulously, leaf by leaf, and burnished to a brilliant shine. Notice how the artist has used punches to create a decorative halo, a mark of the hand. The tempera paint, made with egg yolk, gives the colors a luminous quality, allowing for fine detail in the face and drapery. Consider too the surface quality: the smooth, almost porcelain finish that was highly prized at the time, and achieved through painstaking labor. This was not just art, it was a display of skill and a commitment to the highest standards of craftsmanship. When we look at Saint Matthias, we're seeing more than just a religious figure. We're seeing a convergence of material, labor, and cultural values, one that transcends any boundary between art and craft.