Zealot apostle and martyr · Saint Simon

Rubens, El Greco, Simon Vouet and Federico Barocci represent Simon the Zealot as an apostle, companion of Jude and martyr recognizable by the saw.

Saint Simon, often called Simon the Zealot, belongs to the group of twelve apostles. He must be distinguished from Simon Peter and Simon Stock. Stories concerning his mission remain late and variable, but tradition frequently associates him with Jude Thaddeus in preaching and martyrdom. Federico Barocci thus brings together the two apostles with the Virgin and Child, emphasizing their spiritual closeness. In the great apostolic cycles, Rubens, El Greco and Simon Vouet isolate Simon to give all his strength to the face, gesture and attribute. The saw thus becomes his most common sign, in reference to a tradition according to which he was sawn. The saw becomes his most common sign, in reference to a tradition according to which he was sawn. The book recalls his mission preacher. These portraits show how a few elements - beard, drapery, book and instrument - are enough to distinguish a figure whose narrative episodes are few in number. The "Saint Simon" selection notably compares Saint Simon - Peter Paul Rubens and Apostle Saint Simon - El Greco. Its reading favors atmosphere.

Simon is an apostle of presence more than of story: the saw, the book and the gaze carry a memory that the texts rarely tell.