Apostle St James the Less

This is one of a set — El Greco's Apostolado, a full series of Christ and the 12 apostles, painted around 1609 for the sacristy of Toledo Cathedral at the request of its cardinal, Bernardo de Sandoval y Rojas. Each apostle stands half-length against a dark ground, marked by a small attribute. James the Less holds a book. By this point El Greco had lived in Toledo for more than 30 years and painted to please no one but himself, the figure stretched tall, the hands long and restless, the robes lit in sudden cold flashes. He was in his late sixties and running a busy workshop that produced several versions of the apostle series. This one has stayed in the cathedral sacristy it was made for, unbroken, ever since.