St. Matthias (?), from Christ and the Twelve Apostles

Art Historical Context

Welcome to the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints department, where we encounter *St. Matthias (?), Christ and the Twelve Apostles by the enigmatic Master F. P., created between 1500 and 1550. This intimate etching captures a male saint—likely St. Matthias, the apostle chosen to replace Judas—amidst religious symbols like the cross, evoking the era's deep devotion to the Twelve Apostles. Intriguingly, tags hint at female nudes in the composition, symbolizing virtues, temptations, or allegorical elements common in Renaissance religious art. Etching, a revolutionary intaglio techn...