The Apostle Simon

Inspired by a series of apostles that Rubens painted in 1610 for the Duke of Lerma, Spain's chief minister, Anthony van Dyck set about making his own similar series, including this painting of the Apostle Simon. Simon is shown bust-length, his head turned so that his profile is "lost" or partially obscured by shadow. His left hand rests on a saw, the instrument of his martyrdom. Light falls from the top left, creating highlights and deep shadows across his head, face, hand, and clothing. Draperies are broadly painted and richly colored, while the apostle's hair, eyebrows, and beard are finely painted to convey their wavy, silky texture.

About the painting

Particulars

In the same room · Museum East Pavilion, Gallery E203, J. Paul Getty Museum

Sources

Yes, receiving visitors

The Betrayal of Christ

Lucas van Uffel (died 1637)

Queen Henrietta Maria

Maria Stuart en Willem II

Rest on the Flight into Egypt (Madonna with Partridges)

Two Tritons at the Feast of Acheloüs

Le Christ mort pleuré par la Vierge et des anges

Portrait d'Ann Carr, Lady Russel, comtesse de Bedford (1615-1684)

Meeting of King Ferdinand of Hungary and the Cardinal-Infante Ferdinand of Spain at Nördlingen, 1635

The Miracles of Saint Francis of Paola, about 1627–1628

The Virgin as the Woman of the Apocalypse, about 1623–1624

The Calydonian Boar Hunt, about 1611–1612

Saint Sebastian Tended by an Angel, about 1630–1632

Thomas Howard, 2nd Earl of Arundel, about 1620–1621

The Entry of the Animals into Noah's Ark, 1613

The Sermon on the Mount, 1598

In the catalog