Carved and painted wooden statue of a medium-light-skinned Saint James showing him with dark hair, mustache, and beard and clothed in plain dress. He wears a long, dark blue cloak over a simple gold-colored, long-sleeved tunic. The cloak is fastened at the neck. The tunic is belted at the waist and has a strap running across his chest from his right shoulder to his left hip. St. James is barefoot and, in his right hand, carries a heavy pole which he has planted on the small base between his two splayed feet. The pole has two knobs at the top that define a handle. In his left hand, he carries a large book and with his arm bent at the elbow, the book rests against his upper chest. He wears a large dark hat with a very wide upturned brim that has an emblem on the center front. St. James is turned slightly to his left and looks out past the viewer.
German, Franconia
Saint James,
about 1480
Polychromed oak
,
52.7 cm (20 3/4 in.)
Object details
Accession number
S28e28
Primary Creator
German, Franconia
Full title
Saint James
Creation Date
about 1480
Provenance
Entered Isabella Stewart Gardner's collection by 1903.
Marks
Inscribed on printed scrap from an auction catalogue on the base: indecipherable
Dimensions
52.7 cm (20 3/4 in.)
Display Media
Polychromed oak
Web Commentary
Isabella Stewart Gardner kept meticulous records of many of her acquisitions. In keeping with this legacy, object information is continually being reviewed, updated, and enriched in order to give greater access to the collection.
Permanent Gallery Location
Chapel
Bibliography
Gilbert Wendel Longstreet and Morris Carter. General Catalogue (Boston, 1935), p. 258. (as Franconian, about 1480)
Anneliese Harding. German Sculpture in New England Museums (Boston, 1972), p. 83. (as Franconian, about 1480)
Cornelius C. Vermeule III et al. Sculpture in the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum (Boston, 1977), p. 176, no. 239. (as Franconian, about 1480)
Rights and reproductions
The use of images, text, and all other media found on this website is limited. Please review Rights and Reproductions for details.
Isabella Stewart Gardner kept meticulous records of many of her acquisitions. In keeping with this legacy, object information is continually being reviewed, updated, and enriched in order to give greater access to the collection.