Apostel Judas Taddeüs 1570 - 1600

Editor: Here we have Johann Sadeler’s engraving, “Apostel Judas Thaddäus,” dating sometime between 1570 and 1600. It's housed right here at the Rijksmuseum. There's something very pensive about this portrait, a solemnity maybe, almost as if the apostle knows what's coming. What strikes you when you look at this engraving? Curator: You know, it's the details in these older prints that just utterly capture me. Like, look at the halo – such a simple, thin circle, and yet it completely transforms the image. Gives you that instant signal: divinity, saintly status. And the textures! The lines creating shadows on his face, the almost unruly hair. It’s incredibly intimate, wouldn’t you say? Almost like Sadeler wasn't just depicting a saint, but a human being wrestling with his faith, his purpose... Does the inscription "Credo in Spiritum Sanctum" provide an extra interpretive layer for you? Editor: Definitely, it feels like a window into his soul! Do you think Sadeler aimed for photorealism or was he guided more by symbolism here? Curator: Good question. Remember, engravings aren’t like photographs, trying to replicate reality. They're about conveying meaning, communicating ideas. The spear is not only there to make him easily identifiable, but it's there for another purpose. The spear is symbolic, yes, perhaps referring to the way he met his end. Editor: It is amazing how much detail they could get into prints, long before photographs, as you were pointing out, by building up textures with lines, one by one. Curator: Absolutely. There’s something meditative in its creation, don’t you think? Editor: For sure, now I understand much better.