Saint Andrew, South Germany Around 1500

Figure of Saint Andrew
Southern Germany, circa 1500
Most likely lindenwood
Height: 92 cm

The drapery of a thick mantle with wide folds complements the contrapposto movement of the figure. Saint Andrew holds his specific attribute in his right hand: the X-shaped cross), believed to be the instrument of his martyrdom in Patras, in the Peloponnese. In his left hand, he holds an open book. His head is tilted, and he wears a long beard. His drooping eyes, hollow cheeks, and slightly open mouth give him an expression of compassion.

Andrew, the elder brother of Peter and like him a simple fisherman on the Sea of Galilee, is the first apostle to follow Christ. The New Testament mentions Andrew only briefly, but apocryphal texts often refer to him; his legendary apostleship in Greece, Asia Minor, and Russia is vividly recounted in the Golden Legend by Jacobus de Voragine.