If you see twelve sculpted men in antique garb grouped in a doorway or tympanum, chances are you are looking at the twelve apostles. They will not always have their attributes, and for some of the more obscure apostles the attributes might not be very recognizable anyway. Similarly, images inside churches will often present the apostles as a more or less indistinguishable group (example).
There are a few interesting early representations of the apostles, such as the mosaic at left and the "apostolic college" in the catacombs.
Other images:
Catalan altar frontal
14th century relief
Modern window in medieval
style, Pamplona, SpainAlso see:
Menu