Spanish school of the XVII century.

Spanish school of the XVII century.
"Santiago El Mayor".
Oil on copper.
Presents lack of paint.
Frame of the XIX century.
Measurements: 30 x 22 cm; 36 x 29 x 2,5 cm (frame).

The apostle Santiago appears here represented as a walker, with his staff and wearing a long white tunic and brown cloak. He is located in a wooded place, his figure is cut out against a sky resolved with a veristic will. The countenance is also expressive, rosy and naturalistic.

James of Zebedee, also known as James the Greater was, according to various New Testament texts (Synoptic Gospels, Acts of the Apostles), one of the most prominent apostles of Jesus of Nazareth. He is known in Christian tradition as James the Greater to distinguish him from another member of the group of the Twelve, James the Lesser. Born probably in Bethsaida (Galilee), he was the son of Zebedee and Salome, and brother of John. James of Zebedee belonged to Jesus' so-called "circle of dilettantes" who were with him on special occasions: at the resurrection of Jairus' daughter, at the transfiguration and in the garden of Gethsemane, where Jesus withdrew to pray in agony at the prospect of his passion and death. He was also a privileged witness to the apparitions of the risen Jesus and the miraculous catch of fish in the Sea of Tiberias. According to the book of the Acts of the Apostles, Pentecost found James in prayerful expectation, always as one of the maximum referents of the first Christian community, together with Simon Peter and John. He died at the hands of Herod Agrippa I in Jerusalem between 41 and 44 AD. He is the patron saint of Spain.