Apostel Jakobus de Mindere - Jacques Granthomme

A detailed engraving by Jacques Granthomme depicting Saint James the Less, featuring precise line work and traditional religious iconography.

This engraving by Jacques Granthomme depicts Saint James the Less, identifiable by the fuller's club held at his side, a traditional attribute associated with his martyrdom. Granthomme, a French engraver active during the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries, demonstrates the technical precision characteristic of the period. The composition focuses on the figure of the apostle, who is shown in a contemplative posture, his gaze directed downward toward his hands. The artist employs dense hatching and cross-hatching to model the drapery of the garments and the texture of the hair, creating a sense of volume and weight within the figure.

The background is suggested through minimal, atmospheric lines, allowing the viewer to concentrate on the expressive quality of the apostle's face and hands. The inclusion of the Latin inscription, 'SANCTAM ECCLESIAM CATHOLICAM SANCTORVM COMMVNIONEM', links the image to the Apostles' Creed, specifically the clause concerning the communion of saints. This work belongs to a series of prints depicting the apostles, a common subject for devotional art of the era. The print reflects the influence of Northern European printmaking traditions, which Granthomme encountered during his career. The lines are sharp and deliberate, typical of the copperplate engraving technique used to produce multiple impressions for wider distribution. The work provides a clear example of how religious narratives were translated into visual form for private devotion and theological instruction. The balance between the figure and the text below creates a structured, formal presentation suitable for a collection of religious prints.