An apostolado (from Spanish; lit. ' apostolate'), or apostles series, [1] is a series of individual portrait paintings of the apostles of Jesus Christ, sometimes including other figures, such as Jesus, Luke, Mary, and/or Paul. [2] [3] [4] [5] The first potential example of an apostolado stems from a pair of portraits of the apostles James the Elder and Philip by Albrecht Dürer in 1516, which he may have intended as a full series of twelve. [6] [7] In Spain, apostolados are a prevalent genre of art of the apostles, [8] being popularized by Greco-Spanish painter El Greco [9] and leading to other renowned artists of the genre such as Francisco de Zurbarán, [10] Peter Paul Rubens, [11] and Anthony van Dyck. [12] Images of saints, and therefore the apostles, became popular in Catholic Europe during the Renaissance as a result of the Counter-Reformation, which in turn derived from a heavy emphasis of the Catholic doctrine of intercession of saints and opposition to Protestant iconoclasm. [13] [14]
Although the concept of the apostles in the context of Christianity generally refers to the first twelve apostles of Jesus Christ as enumerated in the Gospels [15] [16] ( Judas Iscariot being replaced by Matthias due to his treachery), [17] some apostolados contain portraits of other important figures in Christianity, such as Jesus, Paul, Mary, and/or Luke. [2] [3] [4] [5]
Valentiner considered it [the painting of Christ] the 'center figure' of a supposed series of four three-quarter-length evangelists, including the Louvre St. Matthew.
An apostolado (from Spanish; lit. ' apostolate'), or apostles series, [1] is a series of individual portrait paintings of the apostles of Jesus Christ, sometimes including other figures, such as Jesus, Luke, Mary, and/or Paul. [2] [3] [4] [5] The first potential example of an apostolado stems from a pair of portraits of the apostles James the Elder and Philip by Albrecht Dürer in 1516, which he may have intended as a full series of twelve. [6] [7] In Spain, apostolados are a prevalent genre of art of the apostles, [8] being popularized by Greco-Spanish painter El Greco [9] and leading to other renowned artists of the genre such as Francisco de Zurbarán, [10] Peter Paul Rubens, [11] and Anthony van Dyck. [12] Images of saints, and therefore the apostles, became popular in Catholic Europe during the Renaissance as a result of the Counter-Reformation, which in turn derived from a heavy emphasis of the Catholic doctrine of intercession of saints and opposition to Protestant iconoclasm. [13] [14]
Although the concept of the apostles in the context of Christianity generally refers to the first twelve apostles of Jesus Christ as enumerated in the Gospels [15] [16] ( Judas Iscariot being replaced by Matthias due to his treachery), [17] some apostolados contain portraits of other important figures in Christianity, such as Jesus, Paul, Mary, and/or Luke. [2] [3] [4] [5]
Valentiner considered it [the painting of Christ] the 'center figure' of a supposed series of four three-quarter-length evangelists, including the Louvre St. Matthew.