Saint James the Greater
Relief
ca. 1350-1360 (made)
ca. 1350-1360 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This carved oak relief shows the apostle Saint James the Greater, and was made in ca. 1350-1360 in Lower Saxony, Germany. Together with three other reliefs now also at the V&A, it originally belonged to a winged altarpiece in the Johanneskirche in Lüneburg, which was dismantled in 1856.
In its centre, this altarpiece probably displayed a sculpture showing the Coronation of the Virgin, which now is in the Museum Lüneburg. Two other figures belonging to the altarpiece are now preserved at the Niedersächsisches Landesmuseum, Hanover, and one is still displayed in the Johanneskirche itself. It is likely that the relief of Saint James the Greater and its three companion pieces at the V&A, all remarkably shallow, once decorated the altarpiece's wings.
Winged altarpieces were especially popular North of the Alps. They usually consisted of a central shrine and a set of two or more movable wings. These allowed not only for closing and opening the shrine, but also for including more images, which could be displayed in different ways.
In its centre, this altarpiece probably displayed a sculpture showing the Coronation of the Virgin, which now is in the Museum Lüneburg. Two other figures belonging to the altarpiece are now preserved at the Niedersächsisches Landesmuseum, Hanover, and one is still displayed in the Johanneskirche itself. It is likely that the relief of Saint James the Greater and its three companion pieces at the V&A, all remarkably shallow, once decorated the altarpiece's wings.
Winged altarpieces were especially popular North of the Alps. They usually consisted of a central shrine and a set of two or more movable wings. These allowed not only for closing and opening the shrine, but also for including more images, which could be displayed in different ways.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Saint James the Greater (generic title) |
| Materials and techniques | Carved oak with traces of colouring and gilding |
| Brief description | Relief, Saint James the Greater, carved oak with traces of colouring and gilding, Lower Saxony (probably), ca. 1350-1360 |
| Physical description | This carved oak relief shows the standing figure of Saint James the Greater. The apostle, rendered with beard, long wavy hair and floating robes, can be identified through his attributes. In his right hand, he is holding a pilgrim staff, now partially lost, and in his left, a scallop. The carving has lost much of its original colouring, but traces remain on the saint's face, hands and hair, and some original gilding as well as later blue overpainting is visible on his robes. The back of the relief is hollowed out, and the figure has a plugged circular bore-hole in the top of the head. |
| Dimensions |
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| Style | |
| Object history | This relief is one of a group of four owned by the museum. The other three show Saint Simon (mus. no. 4846-1856), The Virgin Annunciate (mus. no. 4847-1856) and the Archangel Gabriel (mus. no. 4848-1856), with the latter two forming an Annunciation scene. The reliefs originally belonged to a now dismantled altarpiece in the Johanneskirche in Lüneburg. Much of the church interior was sold and dispersed in 1856, the same year the V&A bought the four reliefs - perhaps at a sale in London at Phillips, New Bond Street, on 27 June 1856 (lot 88, described as 'Four gothic figures of Saints'). |
| Historical context | It is likely that the relief of Saint James the Greater and its three companion pieces at the V&A, all remarkably shallow, once decorated the wings of the altarpiece in the Johanneskirche in Lüneburg. In its centre, the altarpiece probably displayed a sculpture showing the Coronation of the Virgin, which now is in the Museum Lüneburg, flanked by a sculpture of Saint John the Evangelist which is still kept in the Johanneskirche itself. Two further reliefs once belonging to the altarpiece and showing Saint Bartholomew and a saintly abbot are now at the Niedersächsisches Landesmuseum, Hanover. Stylistically, the group is closely linked to the carved reliefs decorating the choirstalls in the cathedrals of Bremen and Magdeburg, which are now generally dated to the mid-fourteenth century. |
| Subject depicted | |
| Summary | This carved oak relief shows the apostle Saint James the Greater, and was made in ca. 1350-1360 in Lower Saxony, Germany. Together with three other reliefs now also at the V&A, it originally belonged to a winged altarpiece in the Johanneskirche in Lüneburg, which was dismantled in 1856. In its centre, this altarpiece probably displayed a sculpture showing the Coronation of the Virgin, which now is in the Museum Lüneburg. Two other figures belonging to the altarpiece are now preserved at the Niedersächsisches Landesmuseum, Hanover, and one is still displayed in the Johanneskirche itself. It is likely that the relief of Saint James the Greater and its three companion pieces at the V&A, all remarkably shallow, once decorated the altarpiece's wings. Winged altarpieces were especially popular North of the Alps. They usually consisted of a central shrine and a set of two or more movable wings. These allowed not only for closing and opening the shrine, but also for including more images, which could be displayed in different ways. |
| Associated objects | |
| Bibliographic references |
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | 4845-1856 |
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| Record created | February 13, 2004 |
| Record URL |
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