Saint James Major

Simone Martini, the foremost painter of the Sienese Gothic school, created this image of Saint James Major around 1315 as part of a series of apostle panels likely intended for a polyptych altarpiece. Martini's courtly elegance and refined line distinguished him from the more volumetric Florentine approach of Giotto, establishing an alternative Gothic idiom that influenced painting across Europe. The panel is now in the National Gallery of Art, Washington.

Painted in egg tempera on panel with lavish gold ground, the work showcases Martini's signature sinuous contour lines and jewel-like color harmonies. The saint's drapery falls in elegant Gothic curves, and the tooled gold background features intricate punch-work patterning typical of Sienese workshop practice.