Saint Philip standing with a book under his right arm, from "Christ and the Apostles"

Art Historical Context

This elegant etching by Andrea Schiavone captures Saint Philip standing in quiet contemplation, a book tucked beneath his right arm. Created around 1548–50 as part of the series “Christ and the Apostles,” the print presents the saint with a dignified presence typical of Venetian Renaissance imagery. Schiavone, a Venetian painter and printmaker active in the mid-sixteenth century, infused his figures with graceful movement and subtle tonal effects that reflect the emerging Mannerist taste for elongated forms and expressive line. Etching allowed Schiavone to achieve remarkably fluid contours and delicate shading on a modest sheet measuring just over eight inches tall. As one of the earliest practitioners of the medium in Venice, he helped popularize etching as a means of circulating devotional images to a wider audience. The inclusion of the book underscores Philip’s traditional role as a preacher and teacher, inviting viewers to reflect on the transmission of faith through both word and image. Acquired by the Metropolitan Museum of Art through the Harris Brisbane Dick Fund in 1926, this print offers an intimate glimpse into the devotional art of the Venetian Renaissance and the technical innovation that shaped it.

About the Artist

Andrea Schiavone (Andrea Meldola) · 1510–1563

Andrea Schiavone, born Andrea Meldolla around 1510 or 1515 in Zara (modern Zadar, Croatia), in Venetian-ruled Dalmatia, hailed from a family rooted in Meldola near Forlì in Romagna, Emilia-Romagna. His father, Simon Meldolla, served as a garrison commander there, and both parents originated from Meldola, where the family held property into the early 16th century. Nicknamed "Schiavone"—"the Slav"—a...