Saint Jude, also known as Thaddaeus, was one of the Twelve Apostles named in the Gospel lists. The New Testament provides little narrative detail about his life, though he is traditionally identified as the author of the Epistle of Jude, a short letter warning against false teaching and urging steadfastness in faith.

Later Christian tradition associates Jude with missionary activity in regions such as Syria and Mesopotamia, often linking him closely with St Simon the Zealot ⓘ. Accounts of his death vary, but he is commonly said to have been martyred, contributing to his later veneration as a powerful intercessor, particularly in Western devotion.

Saint Jude (Thaddaeus) in Art

Saint Jude appears in Christian art primarily as a member of the apostolic group and, in later traditions, as a missionary and martyr associated with St Simon the Zealot. In apostolic cycles and Last Supper scenes, he is usually depicted among the Twelve, often identified by inscription rather than by a distinctive visual type.

From the late medieval period onward, Jude develops more recognisable attributes, including a club or axe associated with his martyrdom, and in some traditions an image of Christ, reflecting legends of the Mandylion. His iconography reflects both the limited Gospel narrative and the later growth of his cult, particularly as a saint invoked in desperate or difficult circumstances.