St. James the Great Overcoming the Saracens

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St. James the Great Overcoming the Saracens

Artist Martin Schongauer (Alsatian, ca.1430-1491)

Dateabout 1480

Dimensions11 1/2 x 17 in.

MediumEngraving

ClassificationPrints

Credit LineFrederick B. and Kate L. Shoemaker Fund

Object number

1938.3

Not on View

DescriptionMartin Schongauer (?) German, 1450–1491 ST. JAMES THE GREAT OVERCOMING THE SARACENS Engraving on paper, about 1480 Frederick B. and Kate L. Shoemaker Fund, 1938.3 St. James the Great was Jesus Christ’s cousin. He was the son of the Virgin Mary’s half sister, Mary Salome, and the brother of St. John the Evangelist. He became the patron saint of Spain by having preached the Gospel there, and reputedly, his body was miraculously transported to Compostela after his martyrdom in Palestine. In this print St. James, wearing a scallop shell on his hat, is leading the charge into battle. The battle, in which the Christians defeated the Saracens at Castille in 846, was actually won by King Ramirez. The victory, however, was attributed to the miraculous appearance of St. James riding a white charger at the head of the Spanish force. This print has been attributed to Schongauer with some scholars feeling that he may have left the copper plate to be finished by others. One thing is certain; the print is not on a paper normally used by Schongauer.

Label TextSt. James the Great was Jesus Christ’s cousin. He was the son of the Virgin Mary’s half sister, Mary Salome, and the brother of St. John the Evangelist. He became the patron saint of Spain by having preached the Gospel there, and reputedly, his body was miraculously transported to Compostela after his martyrdom in Palestine. In this print St. James, wearing a scallop shell on his hat, is leading the charge into battle. The battle, in which the Christians defeated the Saracens at Castille in 846, was actually won by King Ramirez. The victory, however, was attributed to the miraculous appearance of St. James riding a white charger at the head of the Spanish force. This print has been attributed to Schongauer with some scholars feeling that he may have left the copper plate to be finished by others. The print is not on a paper normally used by Schongauer.Exhibition HistoryTMA: Disasters of War, July 13 - October 21, 2001 The Passion and the Apocalypse: Albrecht Dürer's Renaissance, Oct 1,04 - Jan 2,05 Toledo Museum of Art, Looks Good on Paper: Masterworks and Favorites, Oct. 10, 2014-Jan. 11, 2015.