The Miracles of Saint James the Greater
1726
unspecified
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
1726
unspecified
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
You see a crowded scene: a saint in a golden robe, a kneeling magician, demons swirling in smoke, and a man on crutches in the middle. Coypel packed two different Bible stories into one painting. The magician’s spell backfires, and the saint protects him from the very demons he summoned. Meanwhile, the man on crutches is being healed. It’s like a comic strip without panels—every character is in motion. If you like this kind of busy, dramatic storytelling, look up chiaroscuro.
