Saint Simon

Art Historical Context

Step into the Prints and Drawings department at the Art Institute of Chicago encounter *Saint Simon*, a delicate engraving on paper by the mysterious Master F.V.B., around 1500. Measuring just 18.3 × 9.8 cm, this intimate work captures the apostle Saint Simon—likely Simon the Zealot, one of Christ's twelve disciples—in a style typical of the Northern Renaissance. The anonymous artist, identified only by his monogram F.B., was active in the late 15th and early 16th centuries, producing finely detailed religious prints that bridged medieval devotion and emerging Renaissance naturalism. Engravin...