Christ and Saint John the Evangelist
Unknown Artist
1300–1320
Medium
polychromed and gilded oak
Dimensions
{"overall":{"height":0.927,"width":0.645,"depth":0.288}}
Classification
Sculpture
Department
Medieval Art
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund
Accession Number
1928.753
About this artwork
This sculptural group featuring Saint John the Evangelist resting on the shoulder of Christ was a prolific subject in Swabia, the region on the Swiss border. The subject appears to be unique to this region, where it became popular in the years following 1300. Many of these devotional sculptures adorned the chapels of Dominican convents; this is artistically among the finest to survive. It captures the pathos of the moment, based on the Gospel of John (13:23), which states that during the Last Su...