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Wikimedia Commons · Public domain · Hover to magnify, click for fullscreen
Original fileSt. James stands in the right foreground, absorbed in a book and draped in heavy, voluminous robes. Behind him, the scene of his martyrdom unfolds as a group of men strike him down with wooden clubs before a crowd of soldiers and onlookers. The setting features an idealized city landscape with a prominent dome and an obelisk, characteristic of the Roman architectural style favored by Northern Mannerists.
As a central figure in the Haarlem Mannerist movement, Hendrick Goltzius utilized this series of Apostles to demonstrate the transmission of sacred knowledge. The inscription's reference to James 'unlocking sacred mysteries' (mysteria sacra) aligns with the Renaissance intellectual pursuit of hidden divine truths within scripture.
S. Jacobus minor. Aux. 4. vents. Primus hic Antistes Solyme Jacobus amate, Fundamenta iacit fidei, et dum virgine natum 6. Esse docet Christum, et mysteria sacra recludit, Fustibus occisus, vitam cum sanguine fudit.
Translation
St. James the Less. 4 Winds. James, first Bishop of beloved Jerusalem, Lays the foundations of faith, and while he teaches 6. That Christ was born of a virgin, and reveals sacred mysteries, Struck down with clubs, he poured out his life with his blood.
Protevangelium of James
This apocryphal text, often studied in the context of esoteric Christian origins, is traditionally attributed to James and details the 'mysteries' of the Virgin's life.
Object
Engraving
religious
Digital Source
Wikimedia Commons · Public domain
Cleveland Museum of Art
Public domain
3400 × 2688 px
393d31779d6c7d5a824c251c8ce85bdcc911938e
December 24, 2020
March 23, 2026
Linked Data
AI AI-cataloged fields generated by gemini-3-flash-preview on April 1, 2026. Getty identifiers are AI-inferred and may require verification.