Reading
A spear in an uncertain portrait
Suppose an old label offers Thomas for the spear-bearing apostle by Ribera in London. The museum also suggests Matthias. Read its reasoning and note which parts of the picture both choices explain. A good correction keeps the uncertainty visible to the next reader.
A staff with a documented name
Compare Reni’s Saint James at Houston with the same thought experiment. The staff is not unique to James, yet the collection records the portrait under his name. In a caption you can give the catalogue identification and describe the staff without calling it a universal proof.
Checkpoint takeaway
A responsible label makes clear which part comes from observation and which from the catalogue.
Visual study
The bearded man holds the shaft of a spear along the right edge. The museum considers both Thomas and Matthias.
Jusepe de Ribera · National Gallery, London, NG6577The shaft of the pilgrim’s staff rises past James’s shoulder while his joined hands rest near his chest.
Guido Reni · Museum of Fine Arts, Houston