Apocryphal Sources and Their Importance in the Italian Iconography of Saint James the Greater
Apocryphal Sources and Their Importance in the Italian Iconography of Saint James the Greater

Author(s): Andrea D’Apruzzo
Subject(s): Christian Theology and Religion, History, Middle Ages, Theology and Religion, History of Religion
Published by: Trivent Publishing
Keywords: St. James the Greater; apocryphal sources; medieval iconography; medieval hagiography; iconology
Summary/Abstract: As one of the most important apostles, St. James the Greater and iconography depicting him has shown exceptional diversity, mostly due to influence from apocryphal sources. A thorough analysis of these sources (from second to fifteenth centuries) and the way they have been translated into visual representations in Italy shows how much apocryphal sources contributed to the genesis and the development the complex characterization of St. James the Greater. This evolution demonstrates the extent into which apocryphal sources contributed to spreading his iconography throughout Europe.

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