"Saint James". Carved wooden sculpture. Netherlands. Late 15th century.

"Saint James". Carved wooden sculpture. Netherlands. Late 15th century.
Magnificent sculpture of Saint James the Pilgrim, without doubt the work of a master.
The treatment of the saint’s face is remarkable, showing great expressivity and naturalism. Also outstanding are the gothic folds in the tunic which fall to his feet, the delicacy of the hands and the detail on the fastener on the book, made of carved wood simulating iron fittings.
In our opinion, this sculpture must have come from the same workshops as the magnificent relief depicting the death of the Virgin Mary, which forms part of the collection at the Metropolitan Museum in New York, was donated by J. Pierpont Morgan in 1916, and has the inventory number 16.32.210.
The faces of the characters that surround the Virgin Mary and the sculptural treatment are very similar.
Stylistically, the sculpture fits into the monochrome imagery, influenced by the German Tilman Riemenschneider and the Dutch Jan Borreman. There are some characters in the magnificent Saint George altarpiece by the latter artist that remind us of this figure.
Height: 98 cm.