De heilige Judas Taddeüs 1565 - 1630

Antonio Tempesta etched "The Holy Judas Thaddeus," and it now resides in the Rijksmuseum. Judas holds a book and a halberd; his halo represents his sainthood. The book signifies divine knowledge and inspiration, a motif found across cultures from ancient Egyptian scrolls to medieval illuminated manuscripts. But it is the halberd, a weapon, which piques my interest. This is a symbol of his martyrdom. Judas was, according to some traditions, beaten to death with clubs or an axe. The presence of the halberd links Judas to a lineage of martyred saints and heroes, each bearing their instrument of death. It connects to our primal fears and subconscious fascination with violence. The symbol evolves through art history, transforming from a brutal tool of death to a symbol of power, authority, and even spiritual triumph. It resurfaces, carrying the weight of cultural memory and adapting to new artistic and cultural landscapes.