Attributed to Alejo de Vahía

Attributed to ALEJO DE VAHÍA (probably of Nordic origin, ? - circa 1515).
"Santiago apostle".
Carved and polychrome wood.
Presents faults in the carving and polychrome.
Measurements: 103 x 33 x 25 cm.
The image of Santiago Apostle, whom we recognize by his attributes such as the book, the pilgrim's cap adorned with a shell has been worked by the sculptor only on the front, thus showing that originally was part of a larger sculptural ensemble attached to an architecture. Aesthetically the work follows the stylistic precepts of the Renaissance, as can be seen in the treatment of the fabrics that form the tunic, the posture with the leg forward, and the anatomical volume, seeking naturalistic verism, although it is true that it maintains a certain verticality typical of previous aesthetics. The attire has been captured with special attention to detail. Also noteworthy is the expressive capture of the countenance, with mature features and large benevolent eyes.
The high quality and the careful morphology allow us to attribute this work to the circle of Alejo de Vahía, a late Gothic sculptor active in the Iberian Peninsula in the last quarter of the 15th century and the first decade of the following century. In his copious production, de Vahía cultivated various iconographic types that were profusely imitated, among which the Crucified Christ stood out. Characterized by the combination of expressiveness and elegance, the Christs of Alejo de Vahía did not fall into deformations or gesticulations that tended to pathos. As we can see in the carving that concerns us, de Vahía worked the hair and beard in a masterly way, forming locks, looking for a certain naturalism that was not appreciable in the previous Romanesque period. According to Francisco Javier Montalvo in his study "Two new works from the circle of Alejo de Vahía", in recent years a large catalog of works has been gathered around Alejo, which exceeds one hundred, but which is constantly growing, although most of them must have been executed by members of his workshop or circle, or simply by followers of his style. In spite of the few biographical data known about Alejo de Vahía, it is known that he was an artist of Germanic origin active in Palencia at the end of the 15th century, and whose production supplied a wide geographical area of the Crown of Castile until the first decade of the 16th century. We know that in 1505 he made in walnut wood the statues of the Magdalene and St. John the Baptist, as proofs for a future main altarpiece of the cathedral of Palencia, but to his misfortune, the bishop of the cathedral commissioned the main altarpiece to Philip Vigarny on his own, leaving the two mentioned sculptures aside. On the one hand, the Magdalene was later placed on the altarpiece, while the St. John was sold, shortly after its execution, to the convent of Santa Clara in Palencia, and is currently in the Marés Museum in Barcelona.