St. Matthias, from Christ, the Apostles and St. Paul with the Creed

The saint is shown with a thick, curling beard and a focused expression, set against a backdrop of craggy rocks. He firmly grips a large sword, the instrument of his martyrdom, while his left hand rests upon an open book. Below the image, a Latin inscription provides the final line of the Apostles' Creed.

This work belongs to a series that traditionally links each of the twelve apostles to a specific article of the Apostles' Creed, a common mnemonic and devotional practice in late 16th-century Europe. As a leading figure of the Haarlem Mannerists, Goltzius utilized this series to showcase his revolutionary engraving technique, characterized by swelling and tapering lines that create a sense of sculptural volume.