Artwork
San Juan Evangelista
San Juan Evangelista is an oil painting by the Early Baroque Italian artist Francisco Pacheco. It dates from 1608 and is held in the collection of the Museo del Prado.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
This attribute traditionally symbolizes the legend in which John survived an attempt to poison him, representing his divine protection and martyrdom.
Francisco Pacheco's 1608 oil painting on panel depicts John the Evangelist as its primary subject. The work belongs to the genre of religious art and features specific iconography associated with the saint, most notably the inclusion of a chalice. This attribute traditionally symbolizes the legend in which John survived an attempt to poison him, representing his divine protection and martyrdom.
By isolating the figure with this emblematic object, the composition serves as a visual meditation on the evangelist's faith and miraculous survival.
Technique & Style
Francisco Pacheco executed San Juan Evangelista in 1608 using oil paint applied to a panel support. The work depicts the apostle John the Evangelist alongside a chalice, adhering to the religious art genre. Physically, the painting measures 99 cm in height and 45 cm in width.
The composition focuses on the main subject within these dimensions, presenting a formal study of the saint as defined by the artist's technique and material choices.
History & Provenance
The painting San Juan Evangelista is dated to 1608 based on Pacheco's documented activity during that year. It was created as a single-panel religious work depicting John the Evangelist holding a chalice.
The work is recorded as part of the holdings of the Museo del Prado in Madrid, where it remains located. No documented ownership chain prior to its entry into the Prado is provided by the cited sources.
Francisco Pacheco's San Juan Evangelista, created in 1608, is held in the collection of the Museo del Prado. The painting, executed in oil on panel, depicts John the Evangelist holding a chalice. While the source material confirms the work's current location and its creation date, it does not provide a specific inventory or accession number, nor does it list any exhibition history for the piece.
Overview
San Juan Evangelista, painted by Francisco Pacheco in 1608, is a religious oil painting executed in the early Baroque Italian style. It is part of the collection at Madrid’s Museo del Prado.
Context
As a product of the early Baroque period, San Juan Evangelista reflects Pacheco’s adherence to Italian Baroque influences while contributing to 17th-century Spanish painting practices, as later detailed in his guide Art of Painting.
Legacy
While the painting’s direct influence is not broadly highlighted, it represents Pacheco’s artistic output and his broader impact on Spanish art through his teachings and writings.
Artist & collection
Artist
Francisco Pérez del Río (bap. 3 November 1564 – 27 November 1644), known by his pseudonym Francisco Pacheco, was a Spanish painter, best known as the teacher of Alonso Cano and Diego Velázquez, as well as the latter's…
