A Saint, Possibly James the Greater

In the pictureInside a gilded arch stands a man with long hair and a beard. Over an orange-yellow garment he wears a pink mantle lined in green; in his right hand he holds a long, thin staff with a round knob, and in his left a book with a red cover. His halo is decorated with punched dots, the inside of the arch has petal-shaped curves, and twisted columns stand on either side. Much of the gilding on the outer wooden frame has flaked off, exposing the wood grain, and no lettering can be seen at the very bottom. He bows his head slightly, his gaze lowered, and green ground lies at his feet. A row of small circles is punched around the halo.

BackgroundIt was painted by Spinello Aretino in 1384–85, the same years as Saint Philip, and at 52.4 × 18.1 cm including the frame it is almost the same size. Unlike the Philip panel, however, no name is visible at the bottom and there is no clear attribute except the staff, so its title is "A Saint, Possibly James the Greater." James the Greater is the patron saint of the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela in Spain, so he is often shown as a pilgrim holding a staff. Seen side by side, the two panels contrast a young apostle with an older one. The painted surface is 46.4 × 13.7 cm, nearly the same as the Philip panel.

Puzzle tipThe approach is the same as for Philip, but here the staff running diagonally across the picture is the best guide line. Fit the face, beard and red book pieces first, join the staff pieces from top to bottom, then fill the pink mantle and green lining following the direction of the folds. The outer wooden frame, with its gilding worn away, has distinct brown grain, which makes it good for laying around the edges first. The round knob at the top of the staff shows where the right hand is. 24 or 48 pieces works well.