Apostle St. Andrew

Francisco de Zurbaran completed this image of the Apostle Andrew around 1631-1640, showing the saint holding a book and standing before his distinctive X-shaped cross. The cross of St. Andrew, called a saltire, appears under a heavily clouded sky, a reminder of his martyrdom at Patras in Greece.

Andrew's appearance resembles traditional depictions of his brother Peter, with similar features and humble fisherman's attire. Zurbaran painted him in the Counter-Reformation style, isolating the figure against a plain background with attributes clearly visible. The painting likely came from the College of Santo Tomas in Seville.

The canvas measures 146.7 by 61 centimeters and hangs at the Budapest Museum of Fine Arts. It entered the collection in 1949. A companion painting of the Archangel Gabriel may have formed a pendant piece.