Artwork
Saint James Minor
Saint James Minor is a tempera painting by the Byzantine icon painting artist Master of Saint Francis. It dates from 1272 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
- Inscription
- Inscribed:on the arch: SANCTVS JACOB [A]LPHEI Q[VI] COGNOMINAT[VS] E[ST] IV[STVS] [1]
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The work's existence as a tempera-on-panel fragment underscores its role as a surviving component of a significant medieval devotional program.
The painting depicts James the Less, also known as Saint James Minor, a figure central to Christian religious iconography. Created by the Master of Saint Francis in 1272, the work functions as a devotional image within the genre of religious art. As part of a larger altarpiece originally intended for the church of San Francesco al Prato in Perugia, the panel served a liturgical purpose, representing the saint to the faithful.
The specific identification of the subject as James the Less aligns with the visual tradition of early Italian panel painting, where saints were rendered to inspire veneration and reflection among viewers. The work's existence as a tempera-on-panel fragment underscores its role as a surviving component of a significant medieval devotional program.
History & Provenance
The panel Saint James Minor is attributed to the Master of Saint Francis and dated to 1272. It was likely commissioned for the church of San Francesco al Prato in Perugia, where related fragments of the original altarpiece remained in 1793. By the late eighteenth century, the altarpiece had already been disassembled, with portions dispersed.
The work entered private Perugian collections before passing through Anton de Waal in Rome. By 1921 it was with Paolo Paolini in Rome, and by 1928 it belonged to Philip Lehman in New York. In June 1943, Lehman sold the panel to the Samuel H. Kress Foundation, which donated it to the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., in 1952.
Overview
Saint James Minor is a tempera painting from around 1272, attributed to the artist known as the Master of Saint Francis. This panel depicts James the Less, a significant figure in Christian tradition. The work exemplifies the artistic conventions of a small 13th-century workshop, characterized by its religious subject matter and specific painting technique.
Technique & Style
Executed in tempera on a wooden panel, this painting showcases characteristics of the medium. Tempera paint, known for its rapid drying time, allowed for precise detail and vibrant color saturation. However, its inherent fragility means that over centuries, the paint surface can develop fine cracks, a common feature observed in many works from this period.
![Saint James Major [right panel]](https://artifactworldgallery.com/img/grifo-di-tancredi--saint-james-major-right-panel--dc190378c0cddc8f-w320.webp)
Artist & collection
