Apostel Mattias 1591 - 1629

This is Johan Barra’s etching of Apostel Mattias, made sometime between 1591 and 1634. The composition draws you in with the Apostle's figure, set against a landscape rendered with precise lines. Notice how Barra employs hatching and cross-hatching to sculpt forms and evoke textures, a technique that adds depth to the primarily monochrome image. The apostle is not just a figure but a study in contrasts—his soft drapery against the rugged, natural environment. The books on his back and the halberd in his hand aren't just props; they're signs. They hint at Matthias’s spiritual conviction and the assertion of religious authority. Barra’s strategic use of line and form invites us to consider the convergence of the spiritual and the earthly, the personal and the institutional. How do the material qualities of the etching—its lines and textures—contribute to the overall meaning and reception? It prompts us to reconsider how symbols function within historical and artistic contexts.