De apostel Jakobus Major 1518 - 1550

This woodcut of Saint James Major, whose maker is now unknown, resides in the Rijksmuseum. The tight composition focuses our gaze on the Apostle, framed by a radiant halo. The texture comes alive through dense, rhythmic lines defining his form. The Apostle's garments, rendered with varied strokes, contrast against the radiating lines above him, and the pilgrim flask hangs from his cloak, decorated with a scallop shell, symbolic of his pilgrimage. The formal choices aren't merely aesthetic; they are steeped in cultural meaning. Saint James is a figure who destabilizes fixed places and meanings. His journey embodies the search for spiritual understanding. The woodcut's stark lines and deliberate composition emphasize the Apostle's journey as a transformative process. It captures a cultural and philosophical discourse about the nature of belief, inviting us to consider the ongoing interpretation of faith.