Silver Statuette of St. Jude, from the Wittenberg Reliquaries 1472 - 1553

Editor: So, this is Lucas Cranach the Elder's woodcut of Saint Jude, made sometime between 1472 and 1553. The heavy lines give it a somber mood, and I’m intrigued by what he holds in his hands. How do you interpret this work and its imagery? Curator: Consider, first, the nimbus, the halo surrounding St. Jude’s head. What does that signify to you? It points immediately to his saintly status, his blessedness. Even the clean, sharp lines forming the halo speak to a divine aura. And the object he clutches, resembling a club, is believed to be the weapon of his martyrdom, a brutal end transformed into a symbol of enduring faith. Editor: It’s almost like the darkness of the lines emphasizes his saintliness through contrast. But what about the positioning of the figure, the way he's standing? Curator: He stands on an ornate pedestal, set apart and elevated – both physically and spiritually – from the earthly realm. His gaze is averted, suggesting contemplation, a withdrawal from the mundane. Look, too, at how the lines of his robes both conceal and reveal. Do you notice how this tension between covering and uncovering influences how we understand him? Editor: Yes, his body is draped but we can still see a knee. It almost makes him feel more present. I hadn’t considered how all the lines work together to give off those messages. Curator: Indeed. Cranach uses symbols not merely to depict, but to evoke deep-seated cultural memories and understandings of faith and sacrifice. Reflecting on how symbols were used can unlock new readings, which shift and evolve. What do you take away from it all now? Editor: I’ll definitely be paying closer attention to those symbols going forward, understanding they are not neutral. It makes a piece richer!