Saint Jacques Le Mineur
Original title: Saint Jacques Le Mineur
kurzbeschreibung
Edmé Jeaurat etched and engraved Saint James the Less in 1726. The apostle sits in thought with a book and a quill beside him, surrounded by a quiet landscape.
Description
The saint sits centrally, dressed in a long-sleeved robe with a sash around his neck. His face looks calm and pensive; his left hand holds a book, his right moves a quill through the air. A golden crescent hovers above his head, while trees and a patch of sky form the background. The layout is balanced, the light soft and diffuse, the palette mostly in shades of grey.
Context
Edmé Jeaurat, an eighteenth-century French engraver, was known for his reproductions after paintings. This print from 1726 appeared in an era when French printmaking was technically highly developed. In iconographic tradition, James the Less is shown with book and quill as apostle and author of the epistle bearing his name—as he is here.
Impact
The calm, symmetrical arrangement and the diffuse light put the viewer in a contemplative mood. The carefully drawn lines give the sheet a noble, quiet presence that invites lingering.
Technique
Etching and engraving combine here to allow precise, detailed linework. The technique permits fine gradations in shading, so that the texture of the garments and the landscape stand out with a sense of volume.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)