Saint James the Great
1650
unspecified
From the collection of Philadelphia Museum of Art
1650
unspecified
From the collection of Philadelphia Museum of Art
Saint James the Great is a 1650 unspecified by Jusepe de Ribera, a spanish_baroque_tenebrist work, held at Philadelphia Museum of Art.
This painting depicts a man with long, dark hair and a beard, wearing a red robe over a blue garment. He holds a staff in his right hand and a scallop shell in his left. The background is a dark, hazy landscape with distant hills and a body of water. The man's facial expression is one of contemplation, with a furrowed brow and a gaze directed upwards. His attire and the scallop shell suggest a connection to Saint James the Great, a patron saint of pilgrims. The use of chiaroscuro, a technique that emphasizes contrasts between light and dark, adds depth and drama to the painting. To learn more about the artist's use of this technique, look up Jusepe de Ribera.
