1578
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
St. James the Great is a 1578 by Hendrik Goltzius, a Renaissance work, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.
This etching shows a dramatic scene with a crowd of muscular figures in the foreground. One man kneels, clutching his chest, while another stands tall holding a staff and a book. Around them, soldiers raise flags and weapons, and a child points toward the action. In the background, a city with domes and towers looms under a cloudy sky. The text at the bottom hints this is about a saint’s story—likely a moment of martyrdom. The figures’ strong lines and deep shadows create a sense of movement and tension. Next, look up chiaroscuro to see how artists use light and dark to shape drama.
Hendrick Goltzius (German: , Dutch: ; né Goltz; January or February 1558 – 1 January 1617) was a German-born Dutch printmaker, draftsman, and painter.
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