St James
c. 1150 - c. 1170
Medium
carboniferous sandstone
Dimensions
20; 138; 125; 28
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
height 125 cm x width 28 cm x depth 20 cm x weight 138 kg
Art Historical Context
### St. James, c. 1150–1170 This striking medieval sculpture, titled *St. James*, stands as a testament to the anonymous artistry of the 12 century. Carved from durable carboniferous sandstone—a sedimentary rock formed millions of years ago from ancient plant matter—this figure measures 125 cm in height, 28 cm, and 20 cm deep, weighing a substantial 138 kg. Its slender, columnar form suggests a standing saint, likely intended for a church niche or processional use, embodying the spiritual authority of the era. Dating to around 1150–1170, the piece emerges from the Romanesque period, a time w...
About the Artist
anonymous
In the vast tapestry of art history, "Anonymous" stands not as a singular individual but as a collective designation for countless unidentified creators whose works have endured across millennia. These artists, spanning prehistoric cave painters to medieval illuminators and folk craftsmen, produced the foundational layers of human visual culture. Prior to the Renaissance, when individual fame emer...