Drie heiligen Matthias, Paulus en Simon 1534 - 1640

This engraving shows three saints—Matthias, Paul, and Simon—each holding an object associated with their martyrdom, rendered by an anonymous hand. Consider Paul, in the center, who grasps a sword. In early Christian iconography, the sword is the quintessential attribute of Paul, referring to his execution by beheading. Yet the sword's history stretches far earlier, to the Bronze Age, when it symbolized power and authority. The Greeks saw it as both a tool of war and a sacred object. In Paul's hand, the sword represents divine justice, a motif echoing through centuries of art. Think of Michelangelo’s *Last Judgement*, where angels wield swords. The sword is a constant, yet its meaning shifts, evolving with cultural memory. It embodies humanity's complex dance with power, sacrifice, and transformation, reflecting the enduring influence of these archetypes on the human psyche. The past is never truly gone; it resurfaces, transformed, in our present.