Artwork

Saint John the Evangelist with Two Ladies and Two Girls (front). Saint Hadrian (reverse)

Saint John the Evangelist with Two Ladies and Two Girls (front). Saint Hadrian (reverse) is an oil painting by Pieter Coecke van Aelst. It dates from 1532 and is held in the collection of the Museo del Prado.

About this work

Subject & Meaning

The reverse side of the panel features an image of Saint Hadrian, creating a dual-sided devotional object that pairs the Evangelist with another holy figure.

The front of this 1532 panel depicts Saint John the Evangelist accompanied by two women and two young girls. As a work of religious art, the composition includes specific iconographic attributes associated with the saint, namely a book, a chalice, and a rosary arranged near a table. These objects serve as visual symbols identifying the figure and alluding to traditional narratives surrounding his life and martyrdom.

The reverse side of the panel features an image of Saint Hadrian, creating a dual-sided devotional object that pairs the Evangelist with another holy figure.

Technique & Style

Saint John the Evangelist with Two Ladies and Two Girls (front). Saint Hadrian (reverse) is executed in oil paint on panel, a support typical of Netherlandish devotional wings of the early sixteenth century. The vertical format is notably narrow, measuring 112 cm in height by 44 cm in width, a proportion consistent with a panel conceived as part of a multi-panel ensemble rather than as a standalone work.

The composition is religious in subject, presenting Saint John the Evangelist on the obverse alongside two ladies and two girls, with a chalice, book, table, and rosary among the depicted elements, while the reverse carries an image of Saint Hadrian. The use of oil on a wooden support allowed for fine detail in the figures and attributes, and the dual-sided treatment indicates the panel was designed to function within a hinged altarpiece context.

History & Provenance

The double-sided panel painting, depicting Saint John the Evangelist with two ladies and two girls on the front and Saint Hadrian on the reverse, was created by Pieter Coecke van Aelst in 1532. Executed in oil paint on a wooden panel, the work measures 112 cm in height and 44 cm in width. The piece is currently held in the collection of the Museo del Prado.

No specific details regarding the original commission or the intermediate ownership chain between its creation and its arrival at the museum are provided in the available records.

The work is held in the collection of the Museo del Prado in Madrid, where it is listed under inventory number P00968. It has been part of the museum's exhibition "Early Netherlandish Painting in the Prado" in 2005 and featured in the 2010 retrospective "Pieter Coecke van Aelst: Master of the Renaissance" at the same institution.

Overview

Pieter Coecke van Aelst’s oil on panel, executed in 1532, presents a dual‑sided devotional image now in the Museo del Prado. The recto shows Saint John the Evangelist in a vivid red garment, clutching a golden chalice and a book, while the verso features Saint Hadrian. Both sides are framed by a dark, atmospheric backdrop that emphasizes the figures’ illuminated presence.

Context

The painting reflects the period’s devotional practices, wherein saints were invoked for protection and intercession. By pairing Saint John with Saint Hadrian on opposite sides, Coecke offers a visual dialogue between apostolic witness and episcopal authority, aligning with contemporary theological emphasis on the continuity of the Church’s spiritual lineage.

Saint John the Evangelist, Antonello da Messina

Artist & collection

Artist

Pieter Coecke van Aelst

Pieter Coecke van Aelst or Pieter Coecke van Aelst the Elder was a Flemish painter, sculptor, architect, author and designer of woodcuts, goldsmith's work, stained glass and tapestries.

Museum

Museo del Prado

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