Saint James the Great as a Pilgrim

late 15th century

On View

European: Medieval and Renaissance, Level 2, West Wing

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Published References

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Catalogue Raisonné

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About the Artwork

Pilgrimage, travel undertaken to visit sacred sites, seek spiritual aid or forgiveness, or fulfill a religious vow, was (and is) a central part of Catholic Christianity.

The tomb of the apostle Saint James the Great in Santiago de Compostela, Spain, was one of the foremost pilgrimage sites in medieval Europe, which drew the faithful from vast distances. Saint James himself was often portrayed as a pilgrim, carrying a walking stick and wearing a cloak to protect against unpredictable weather on a long and difficult journey. Here, Saint James’s hat and bag are decorated with seashell badges like those that identified pilgrims returning from Compostela.

Title Saint James the Great as a Pilgrim

Artwork Date late 15th century

Artist ----------

Life Dates ----------

Nationality Please note: Definitions for nationality may vary significantly, depending on chronology and world events. Some definitions include: Belonging to a people having a common origin based on a geography and/or descent and/or tradition and/or culture and/or religion and/or language, or sharing membership in a legally defined nation. French

Culture Please note: Cultures may be defined by the language, customs, religious beliefs, social norms, and material traits of a group. ----------

Medium Limestone with polychromy

Dimensions Overall: 40 1/2 × 15 1/2 × 11 inches (102.9 × 39.4 × 27.9 cm)

Classification Sculpture

Department European Sculpture and Dec Arts

Credit Gift of Mr. and Mrs. George R. Fink

Accession Number This unique number is assigned to an individual artwork as part of the cataloguing process at the time of entry into the permanent collection. Most frequently, accession numbers begin with the year in which the artwork entered the museum’s holdings. For example, 2008.3 refers to the year of acquisition and notes that it was the 3rd of that year. The DIA has a few additional systems—no longer assigned—that identify specific donors or museum patronage groups. 51.327

Markings

Inscriptions Carved, on scroll: QUI CONCIPI (?) EST DE SPIRITU STO NATU EX MARI

Provenance

until 1951, George R. and Elsie Morley Fink (Grosse Pointe Farms, Michigan, USA);
1951-present, gift to the Detroit Institute of Arts (Detroit, Michigan, USA)

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Exhibition History

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The exhibition history of a number of objects in our collection only begins after their acquisition by the museum, and may reflect an incomplete record.

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Published References

Bulletin of the DIA 31, nos. 3-4 (1951-1952): p. 78.

Gillerman, Dorothy. Gothic Sculpture in America, vol. II. The Museums of the Midwest, Turnhout, 2001, p. 146, no. 110.

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Catalogue Raisoneé

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Credit Line for Reproduction

French, Saint James the Great as a Pilgrim, late 15th century, limestone with polychromy. Detroit Institute of Arts, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. George R. Fink, 51.327.