Saint James the Younger
El Greco·1595
Historical Context
El Greco's Saint James the Younger of around 1595 depicts one of the two apostles named James — the 'brother of the Lord' who led the Jerusalem church — in the three-quarter format that El Greco used for his individual apostle studies. The distinction between James the Elder (son of Zebedee) and James the Younger (son of Alphaeus) was sometimes confused in iconographic tradition, but El Greco's treatment gives the figure sufficient psychological specificity to suggest individual character beyond generic sainthood. The work demonstrates his sustained engagement with the apostolic college as a series of individual spiritual portraits.
Technical Analysis
El Greco renders the apostle with elongated proportions and his signature upward-gazing expression, using cool tones and fluid drapery to create a figure of spiritual aspiration.
