St. John with Serpent in Chalice
Israhel van Meckenem (German, c. 1440–1503)
c. 1480–1500
Medium
engraving
Dimensions
20.3 × 10 cm
Classification
Department
Prints
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Gift of The Print Club of Cleveland
Accession Number
1925.991
Tags
male
About this artwork
According to legend, John the Evangelist was given a cup of poisoned wine that he drank without harm. As emblems of the tale, John’s chalice symbolizes the Christian faith prevailing over death, signified by the serpent. As a print, Meckenem's representation of Saint John like a sculpture in an architectural niche made it possible for more people to personally own a religious image that they might otherwise only have seen at a church.