Artwork
St. John
St. John is an oil painting by the Mannerist artist El Greco. It dates from 1596 and is held in the collection of the Dallas Museum of Art.
About this work
Overview
El Greco’s oil painting titled St. John was executed in 1596 and is presently part of the collection at the Kimbell Art Museum. The work portrays the apostle John the Evangelist, rendered in the elongated, expressive manner typical of the artist’s mature period.
Subject & Meaning
The figure is shown with short brown hair, dressed in a green tunic beneath a pink cloak that falls over his left shoulder. He gazes downward, his eyes directed toward his right hand, which rests palm‑up on his lap, suggesting a moment of quiet contemplation or prayer.
Technique & Style
El Greco employs a dramatic contrast of light and shadow, a hallmark of chiaroscuro, to model the saint’s features against a dark background. The brushwork shows a thick, impasto application that adds texture to the garments and flesh, reinforcing the work’s Mannerist sensibility.
History & Provenance
Created toward the end of El Greco’s career, the painting entered the Kimbell Art Museum’s holdings in the 20th century, though earlier ownership records are sparse. Its presence in the museum’s collection reflects the institution’s focus on significant works of European religious art.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Doménikos Theotokópoulos was born in 1541 in Candia (modern Heraklion), the capital of Venetian-ruled Crete, where he was trained in the post-Byzantine tradition of icon painting.
