“O LORD, my rock, my fortress, my deliverer; my God, my refuge, in whom I trust, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold!” Psalm 18:2
Exhibition at St. Andrew’s Church in Munich
, December 2025
Inside St. Andrew’s Church in Munich, visitors encounter twelve faces. They do not look back. They do not smile. They do not seek attention. They are simply there—serious, weathered, silent. And that is precisely where their power lies.
In his exhibition “Serious Faces,” artist Nikolaus Rauch focuses on the twelve apostles. The starting point for his large-format acrylic paintings are the heads of the apostle figures on a Romanesque baptismal font from Windberg Abbey in Lower Bavaria. Centuries-old stone reliefs give rise to contemporary portraits that bridge the gap between past and present, between art and meditation, and between history and personal religious experience.
The exhibition is much more than a series of religious portraits. It is an invitation to encounter—not heroes, but people.
The Twelve as a Reflection of the New Israel
The exhibition catalog highlights the significance of the number twelve. Jesus did not choose the twelve apostles by chance. The number refers to the twelve tribes of Israel and thus to the twelve sons of Jacob, the patriarchs of the Old Testament people of God. The apostles thus symbolize a new beginning: the new people of God, born of faith and spreading beyond the borders of Israel.
But Nikolaus Rauch is less interested in dogmatic statements than in the people behind the names. His paintings do not depict triumphant saints. The faces appear pensive, marked by life experience, responsibility, and doubt. They are faces that have been through a lot.
The Apostles as Real People
Each of the twelve apostles is introduced in the companion booklet through a psalm, a biblical passage, and a biographical profile. This creates a multifaceted picture of these early Christian witnesses.
There is Simon Peter, the fisherman from Bethsaida, the impulsive confessor and later church leader. His face seems marked by the weight of a great calling. He, of all people, is designated as the rock upon which the church is to be built.
Standing beside him is his brother Andreas, the seeker. Even before he himself becomes significant, he leads others to Jesus. His journey will later take him all the way to the shores of the Black Sea.
James the Greater and John, the “Sons of Thunder,” are portrayed as brothers with different fates. While James becomes a martyr at an early age, John lives a long life and becomes a witness to the Revelation. John, in particular, embodies closeness to the mystery of Christ. His face seems to bear the serenity of a man who has seen much and forgotten little.
Philip, who asked questions—the skeptical skeptic in the face of the feeding of the five thousand—is depicted just as Bartholomew is, who, according to the Gospel, was “without guile.” Both remind us that faith does not mean perfection, but openness.
Doubt, Vocation, and Courage
The figure of Thomas is particularly striking. To this day, his name has become a symbol of doubt. Yet the exhibition portrays him not as a skeptic, but as a sincere seeker. His face shows no rejection, but rather a longing for truth. It is precisely in this that he appears surprisingly modern.
Matthew, the former tax collector, also embodies a surprising turn of events in his life. From an outsider, he becomes an evangelist. His story speaks of change and a new beginning.
James the Younger, Thaddeus, and Simon the Zealot are among the lesser-known apostles. Yet it is precisely their obscurity that makes them interesting. They represent those people whose names often fade from history, but whose deeds nevertheless leave their mark. Their faces appear calm and focused, as if they were embodying the significance of the hidden.
Matthias, the successor to Judas, concludes the passage. He reminds us that communities can experience ruptures and yet continue on. His calling does not come through his own efforts, but through election.
The Language of Faces
However, the exhibition’s true strength does not lie in the historical information. It lies in its visual language.
The heads appear fragmented, weathered, and partially eroded. The surface is reminiscent of stone, earth, and time. Layers of paint overlap like memories. Some faces stand out clearly, while others seem almost to vanish. It is precisely this that creates a peculiar tension.
Nikolaus Rauch avoids individual psychological portrayals. The apostles are not depicted as specific individuals, but rather suggested. The viewer is not given ready-made answers. Instead, there is room for personal interpretation.
Those who linger a little longer before the paintings will discover in the solemn features not only the apostles, but also something of themselves: doubt and hope, courage and fear, calling and failure. The faces become mirrors of human experience.
Meditation in a Noisy World
In a culture of constant self-expression, the “Serious Faces” seem almost like a counterpoint. These faces do not seek attention. They do not demand approval. They invite silence.
The combination of verses from the Psalms, Gospel passages, and artwork creates a meditative space where the past and the present engage in dialogue. The apostles do not appear as distant saints from a bygone era, but as people who, on their journey, wrestled with the same questions that remain relevant today: Who am I? What am I living for? What do I trust in?
In this way, the exhibition becomes a journey through twelve life stories and, at the same time, a journey inward.
“Serious Faces” does not depict perfect heroes of faith. It depicts people who were on a journey—searching, questioning, believing. That is precisely why their faces still appear astonishingly vivid even after centuries. In their silence, they speak of a hope that transcends time and of a faith that is proven not in the glory of success, but in the depths of human experience.
