The Martyrdom of a Saint (Martyrdom of Saint James the Great?)

This drawing featuring a saint facing martyrdom was formerly attributed to Jean-Baptiste Deshays (Colleville 1729-1765 Paris). André Bancel, however, rejected the attribution and offered a possible identification of the subject (letter, May 2010). The kneeling martyr with his discarded pilgrim's staff in the foreground might possibly be St. James the Great, the patron saint of Spain. St. James the Great was one of the most famous pilgrims of the Christian religion, and his remains are housed in Santiago de Compostela. The Acts of the Apostles records that Agrippa I ordered his beheading by sword.
Formerly attributed to Jean-Baptiste Deshays (Colleville 1729-1765 Paris)