Saint Philip by Pierre Paul Rubens

Drawn from the monumental cycle dedicated to the college of apostles, this sacred effigy embodies religious resilience and total self-sacrifice. The master Pierre Paul Rubens conceives in “Saint André” a monumental representation imbued with austere, meditative gravity. This painting reflects the religious fervor of Flemish Baroque through the monumentality of the figure and the affirmation of martyrdom symbols.:::::The saint stands three-quarters view in a tight frame, clasping the heavy wooden cross of his execution with his left arm. His inclined head displays a long wavy white beard and thinning hair framing a deep gaze filled with faith. He is wrapped in a vast midnight blue mantle with ample folds that covers his right shoulder and falls heavily. His open right hand reaches forward in a gesture of preaching or serene acceptance of his sacred destiny. The dark, neutral background isolates the silhouette to concentrate attention on the patriarch’s illuminated face. Raking light sculpts the volumes of blue drapery and brings out the veins on the martyr’s hand.:::::Pierre Paul Rubens displays exceptional mastery of oil painting in the anatomical modeling of the hands and face. His broad, confident brushwork bestows an impressive physical presence as well as striking realism upon this sacred work of art.