Saint Simon
1523
Medium
engraving on laid paper
Dimensions
sheet (trimmed to plate): 11.8 × 7.6 cm (4 5/8 × 3 in.)
Classification
Department
CG-E
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Rosenwald Collection
Accession Number
1943.3.3549
Art Historical Context
Albrecht Dürer's *Saint Simon* (1523) is a exquisite engraving on laid paper, measuring just 11.8 × 7.6 cm—trimmed precisely to the plate's edges for an intimate viewing experience. Created late in the master's career, this print captures the apostle Saint Simon, one of Jesus's twelve disciples, often depicted holding symbols of his martyrdom, such as a saw or book. Housed in the National Gallery of Art Rosenwald Collection (Department CG-E), it exemplifies Dürer's unparalleled skill in printmaking during the Northern Renaissance. Dürer, a pioneering German artist (1471–1528), revolutionized ...
About the Artist
Albrecht Dürer · 1471–1528
Albrecht Dürer (1471–1528) stands as the preeminent figure of the Northern Renaissance and arguably the most influential artist in the history of printmaking. Born in Nuremberg on May 21, 1471, and dying in the same city on April 6, 1528, Dürer revolutionized the status of the artist in Northern Europe, transforming printmaking from a commercial craft into an independent fine art and establishing ...