Saint Jude in prayer, seen in profile facing left with a staff resting on his shoulder, in an oval frame, from Christ, the Virgin, and Thirteen Apostles

Art Historical Context

This intimate etching presents Saint Jude in quiet devotion, captured in profile as he faces left with hands clasped in prayer and a staff resting on his shoulder. Created between 1600 and 1640, the small oval composition belongs to a larger series depicting Christ, the Virgin Mary, and the thirteen apostles. The compact format—measuring just over four inches high—allowed the image to serve as both a devotional object and a portable work of art for private contemplation. Though the print is attributed to an anonymous seventeenth-century maker, it reflects the graceful, classical style associa...

About the Artist

Guido Reni|Anonymous, 17th century · 1575–1642

Guido Reni (1575–1642) was one of the most celebrated Italian painters of the Baroque era and the dominant figure of the Bolognese School. Born into a family of musicians in Bologna, he trained first with Denys Calvaert before joining the influential Accademia degli Incamminati led by Ludovico Carracci. Reni achieved international fame through his idealizing style that combined Baroque dynamism wi...