John the Evangelist

Artist Carlo Dolci (Italian, 1616 - 1686)

Datec. 1650

MediumOil on copper

DimensionsImage: 10 3/16 × 8 1/8 (25.9 × 20.6 × 0.1 cm)
Frame: 18 1/4 × 16 1/2 in. (46.4 × 41.9 cm)

ClassificationsPaintings

Credit LineBequest of John Ringling, 1936

Object numberSN137

This small easel painting of St. John the Evangelist on the Island of Patmos illustrates the detailed softness characteristic of Carlo Dolci's style. The saint gazes upward, appealing for inspiration as he pens the Book of Revelation. His ecstatic expression, dewy eyes, and open mouth are typical of Dolci's figures. The eagle at the right of the painting represents St. John's visionary ability - it was believed to be the only creature that could gaze directly into the sun and therefore became an attribute of the saint. Dolci's images often combine vivid palettes with an almost Netherlandish attention to detail.

On View

On view

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