“The Incredulity of St. Thomas” is a religious painting by Peter Paul Rubens, executed between 1613 and 1615. Employing the medium of oil on wood, Rubens created this artwork during the Baroque period, a time known for its dramatic use of light and expressive motion to convey intense emotional experiences.
The artwork presents a powerful moment derived from a biblical scene, capturing the narrative of the apostle Thomas’s doubting the resurrection of Jesus Christ until he could see and touch Christ’s wounds. Central to the painting is the figure of Christ, who stands bare-chested with a benign yet knowing expression, guiding Thomas’s hand to probe the wound in his side, thereby affirming the miracle of his resurrection.
To the left, there includes an onlooker peering from a darkened doorway, bearing a look of curiosity. He witnesses the event with a palpable intensity indicative of the period’s interest in the spectator’s role. On the right, a figure of a woman stands in a separate alcove, her hands clasped around a rosary, observing the scene solemnly through the frame of a door, her attire and the rich drapery serving as a testament to the material wealth and taste of the era.
Thomas, Christ, and two other witnesses form a tight cluster around the sacred wound. The stark realism with which Rubens depicted the incredulous expression on Thomas’s face, and his hesitancy as his fingers reach towards the open wound, resonates with the religious fervor and seeking spirit of the early 17th century. The play of light and shadow enhances the drama of this revelatory moment, while the careful attention to anatomical detail reflects Rubens’s renowned skill as a master of the human form.
