unknown - Saint Simon - 1750–1780 - T-Shirt

A haloed, bearded apostle stands in a draped mantle, gripping a long serrated saw upright at his side, rendered in fine brown ink on a cream sheet.

Visual Elements & Composition

The drawing is built from sepia brown and dark brown-black ink set against a broad field of cream white, which fills most of the sheet. The figure occupies the centre of the frame, turned slightly to the right with his eyes lowered. His mantle falls in heavy vertical folds to his feet, and short, fine hatching describes the shadowed areas of the drapery. The serrated blade rises beside him and anchors the lower half of the composition, while a single black border encloses the whole panel. There is no lettering; the subject is identified by the emblem alone.

Meaning & Symbolism

The saw is the attribute by which Saint Simon is recognised. Christian tradition holds that this apostle was sawn in two as a martyr, which is why the instrument is so often placed beside his figure in devotional images. His calm, downward gaze and steady grip on the blade express endurance rather than fear, presenting martyrdom through one clear emblem. The sheet dates to 1750–1780, and its quick contours and short hatched strokes reflect how single apostles were drawn as devotional studies and as models for painters, sculptors and printmakers who needed figures with legible attributes.

Carried Into Everyday Wear

A tee gives this study room to work at full scale across the chest, where the figure's upright stance and the long line of the saw can be read at a glance. The cream ground and brown ink sit naturally on a plain cotton body, so the drawing's economy of line stays visible, and the calm, steady pose carries straight onto the wearer.