Study for the apostle Saint Andrew

This study for the apostle Saint Andrew, around 1619, by Jordaens, demonstrates the preparatory process behind his large-scale religious commissions. The vigorous life study captures the apostle's character with the immediacy of direct observation. Jordaens, who outlived both Rubens and Van Dyck to become the dominant figure in Flemish Baroque painting for the second half of the seventeenth century, was particularly celebrated for his exuberant genre subjects, especially his series on the Flemish proverb about the King of the Bean.

The figure is modeled with bold, energetic brushwork that captures the apostle's robust physical presence. Jordaens's warm palette and confident handling create a study that possesses independent artistic merit beyond its preparatory function.