The Apostle Simon

Unknown artist

At the age of 17, Flemish graphic artist Johan Wierix, decades after Dürer’s death, made an equilateral copy of his engraving “Der Apostel Simon,” which was made in 1523. In order to demonstrate his ability, he clearly oriented himself to the template. The apostle faces the spectators in step on a simple designed background. He is wrapped in a swarming robe and holds the tool of his martyrdom, the saw, with both hands in front of his body. Contrary to the first two apostles, Simon is not accentuated by a ray bus. In addition, there is no background design. While dating and monogram are reminiscent of Dürer as the spiritual creator of the image idea, references to the copyist and the time of origin are integrated with the name abbreviation “IH • W” and the characteristic age indication of the Wierix brothers, here “Æ • 17.” Mauquoy-Hendrickx lists three states of the record: with the sign Dürers and Wierix ', with the address Claes Jansz. Visschers and the number “5,” with the address of the publisher Luigi Guidotti, who was active in Bologna in the second half of the 18th century (see Mauquoy-Hendrickx II.179.972).