The artwork titled “The Twelve Apostles,” created by an anonymous artist under the collective designation “Orthodox Icons” around the year 1300, is a quintessential example of the Late Byzantine/Palaeologan Renaissance art movement. This tempera and gold leaf on panel icon, part of the “Saints” series, is a significant representation of Byzantine religious iconography. The artwork is housed at the Princeton University Art Museum (PUAM) in Princeton, New Jersey, US.
The artwork showcases twelve haloed figures, representing the apostles of Jesus Christ, arranged in a hierarchical manner characteristic of Byzantine iconography. Each apostle is adorned with intricate, gilded halos and dressed in richly colored robes, symbolizing their sanctity and divine mission. The palette predominantly features warm hues accentuated with gold, reflecting the heavenly and sacred nature of the figures. The background of the artwork is resplendent with gold leaf, emphasizing the spiritual and ethereal quality of the scene. The meticulous detailing and stylistic elements underscore the religious and cultural ethos of the Late Byzantine period, encapsulating the reverence and veneration of saintly figures in Eastern Orthodoxy.