De apostel Jakobus Major 1508 - 1512

"De apostel Jakobus Major" is an engraving by Lucas van Leyden, created between 1508 and 1512. The artwork depicts Saint James the Greater, one of the twelve apostles of Jesus, holding a staff with a pilgrim's scallop shell, a symbol of his pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela in Spain. Van Leyden's precise rendering of detail and the use of light and shadow create a realistic depiction of the saint, a testament to his artistic prowess and mastery of the engraving technique. The artwork, now housed in the Rijksmuseum, is a striking example of Northern Renaissance art, characterized by its detailed realism and religious subject matter.