St. John the Evangelist on the Isle of Patmos

About this work

You see a man sitting on a rocky shore, writing in a book while a woman in a glowing halo floats above him. This is Saint John, exiled to Patmos, having a vision of the Virgin Mary. The tiny details—every leaf, fold of cloth, and wave—show how carefully the artist worked. It’s an engraving, so the lines had to be perfect from the start. If you like this, look up *chiaroscuro*—how artists use light and shadow to make things pop.