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Head of Saint James the Greater

1450–1500
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 305
Carved with virtuoso technical mastery, this majestic head of Saint James originally formed a full-length figure similar to the nearby sculptures from Poligny, France.
As a popular protectorate saint for pilgrims, James was revered throughout France and Spain. His melancholic appearance is counterbalanced by an extravagant wooly hat emblazoned with his symbol, the scallop shell. The commanding presence and serenity of expression is exceptional in 15th-century French sculpture. The carver was influenced by the great Burgundian court sculptor Claus Sluter, active in Dijon around 1400.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Head of Saint James the Greater
  • Date: 1450–1500
  • Geography: Made in Burgundy (?), France
  • Culture: French
  • Medium: Limestone with traces of paint
  • Dimensions: 14 1/8 × 12 1/2 × 9 1/8 in., 44 lb. (35.8 × 31.7 × 23.1 cm, 20 kg)
  • Classification: Sculpture-Stone
  • Credit Line: Purchase, The Cloisters Collection and Audrey Love Charitable Foundation Gift, 2015
  • Object Number: 2015.241
  • Curatorial Department: Medieval Art and The Cloisters

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Saint James the Greater, Limestone with traces of paint, French
Saint James the Greater
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ca. 1450–75
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Fragment from the Tomb of John the Fearless and Margaret of Bavaria, Duke and Duchess of Burgundy
Jean de la Huerta
Antoine Le Moiturier
ca. 1443–55
Window, Limestone, French
Window
French
ca. 1500
Window with Flamboyant Tracery, Limestone, French
Window with Flamboyant Tracery
French
15th century
Window with Flamboyant Tracery, Limestone, French
Window with Flamboyant Tracery
French
15th century

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