Moving testimonies to Medieval Piety and the vitality of stone carving workshops under the patronage of the Grand Dukes and their entourage, Burgundy's 15th-century sculptures continue to captivate collectors and enthusiasts with their power and rich history. Between 1400 and 1530, this prosperous region saw a proliferation of commissions for sculptures to adorn the private chapels of the elite and other religious buildings. At the heart of these commissions was the figure of Saint James the Greater, linked to the tradition of the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela. Carved from Tonnerre limestone, this statue of the apostle with his pilgrim's staff and the Holy Scriptures is a wonderful demonstration of this. While its silhouette and the style of its vertical drapery suggest that the work dates from the late 15th century, its dazzlingly rich ornamental treatment sets it apart from the Burgundian corpus and reflects the virtuosity and originality of its sculptor. The few parallels drawn with other works from the region, such as the Joseph of Arimathea from the Entombment of Tonnerre, a seated Saint James from the Bode Museum in Berlin, the Praying figure by Pierre Vercey or the Saint Bartholemew from Gugney-sur-Aulx, all point to its roots in northern Burgundy, perhaps in Franche-Comté, in contact with the northern influences of Lorraine, and highlight the richness and diversity of Burgundy's much-appreciated sculptural corpus at the end of the Middle Ages.
