Saint James the Apostle

The Master of Miraflores's Saint James the Apostle in the Prado, from the Baptist cycle or an adjacent altarpiece program, depicts James the Greater — the apostle traditionally identified with the pilgrimage shrine at Santiago de Compostela — in the single-saint devotional format that served as altarpiece wing panels. James's attributes — the pilgrim's shell, staff, and wide-brimmed hat — were among the most recognizable in all of Christian iconography, his image appearing at every stop along the great pilgrimage routes crossing Spain and France. The Miraflores master renders this universally known figure with the characteristic refinement of his Hispano-Flemish style.

James the Apostle stands holding his pilgrim's staff, the shell of Compostela prominently displayed. The master renders the pilgrim attributes and the apostle's aged but vigorous figure with careful attention to iconographic legibility. His Flemish-influenced technique gives the simple standing figure unexpected psychological presence.