Saint James the Greater c. 1540

Curator: The first thing that strikes me is the incredible detail in this small work. Editor: Indeed. We're looking at Lucas Cranach the Younger's "Saint James the Greater," currently residing at the Harvard Art Museums, rendered in exquisite detail at just 26 by 16 centimeters. Curator: The figure seems almost trapped, doesn't it? Squashed behind the table, a sense of enclosure. But the symbols – the grapes, the pilgrim's feet below – they hint at a deeper narrative of faith and journey. Editor: Absolutely. Cranach, steeped in the Reformation's visual culture, uses this imagery to subtly comment on James's role. The grapes could signify the Eucharist, the foundation of Christian faith, all within this historical context. Curator: The act of contemplation. The face is so expressively drawn. I read weariness, maybe a touch of resignation, in Saint James's eyes. Editor: Cranach's woodcuts were immensely popular, disseminating religious ideas through affordable art. This James, caught between the sacred and the mundane, offers a powerful reflection on belief in a changing world. Curator: It’s a profound study in such a compact space. Editor: It is a window into both devotion and history, all in miniature.