- The “Mays” of Notre-Dame
- The Descent of the Holy Spirit
- Saint Peter Healing the Sick with His Shadow
- The Conversion of saint Paul
- The Centurion Cornelius at the Feet of Saint Peter
- The Preaching of Saint Peter in Jerusalem
- The Crucifixion of Saint Peter
- The Crucifixion of Saint Andrew
- The Stoning of Saint Stephen
- The Predictions of the prophet Agabus to Saint Paul
- The Visitation
- Saint Thomas Aquinas, Fountain of Wisdom
Saint Andrew
Andrew, the brother of Peter, was fishing on the Sea of Galilee when they decided to follow Jesus. Previously a disciple of John the Baptist, Andrew was the first to meet Jesus on the banks of the Jordan. After Jesus’ death, he preached primarily around the Black Sea. Under the reign of Nero, he converted the wife of proconsul Aegeas, which led to his condemnation. He later died in Greece, crucified on an X-shaped cross.
The Painting
The painter depicts the scene in two registers. At the top, proconsul Aegeas, seated at his tribunal, has just ordered the death of Andrew, who is bound to the cross by his feet and hands. The executioners strip him of his clothes and prepare him for his ordeal, while soldiers disperse the protesting crowd. Andrew is crucified on an X-shaped cross, which has been known as Saint Andrew’s Cross since the Middle Ages. This symbol is well recognized by Christians.
To easily identify the apostle, the painter shows Saint Andrew in an exalted posture, with arms and legs spread, reminiscent of the X-shaped cross of his martyrdom. The elderly man calls upon the heavens, where a cherub displays palms, symbols of glory, that honor him from the skies. Despite the abundance of characters, Le Brun achieves a clear interpretation of the scene through a distinct light focused on the martyr saint and the angel.
Charles Le Brun (1619-1690)
Charles Le Brun trained in the studio of Simon Vouet, the painter of the May of 1640, The Deliverance of Saint Peter. After spending four years in Rome studying the great masters, he returned to Paris in 1646. He was appointed Painter and Valet de chambre to the King the following year, when he also received the commission for this May of 1647.
