Saint John the Evangelist
Unknown Artist
1450–1475
Medium
gilt bronze or brass
Dimensions
{"without base":{"height":0.299,"width":0.118}}
Classification
Sculpture
Department
Medieval Art
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund
Accession Number
1951.315
About this artwork
The saint holds the legendary chalice, a poisoned cup, from which emerges a dragon, representing the serpent (Satan), recalling the incident in which John was forced to drink poison to test the power of his faith. John survived the test unharmed. It has been suggested that this statuette derives from a large multitiered baptismal font with niche figures in the Church of Notre-Dame in the town of Hal.