Description
Saint John the Evangelist is a beardless young man who appears in several scenes from the life of Jesus. In the scene of the Crucifixion, according to the account he gives (John, XIX, 26-27), he stands like the Virgin at the foot of the cross. The theme underwent considerable development in the 15th century. This beautifully crafted sculpture of a wooden Saint John enhanced by his polychromy is an isolated element of a Calvary, placed at the bottom right of the Cross.
With his head slightly raised to the left, he looks upwards. The saint’s youthful face with its gentle and kind expression reveals a contained sadness. Mid-length hair with curly ends frames his face. More than the pain felt because of the deceased Christ, he expresses hope in prayer.
He stands, barefoot, dressed in a tunic with wide sleeves and a cloak like a cape with one side hanging down the front.
The drapery work is particularly well-crafted. Indeed, the supple movement of the coat presents a harmonious superposition of wide, hollow, broken folds, which contrast with the straight folds of the tunic underneath.
As iconographic tradition dictates, Saint John holds the Holy Book, his biblical attribute, in his left hand, and a handkerchief in his right hand.