Apostle John, 16th century

Limewood, XVIth century, Rhine region, rests of polychromy (scarlet, gold, blue), heigth 47 x 37 x 20 cm. Extremely moving representation of apostle John from a crucifixion scene sculpted in the Rhine region in the XVIth century. The sculpture is striking because of its deep emotional power and genuine despair of the apostle, who has just lost his spiritual mentor and friend at the cross. Everything is in balance: the emotion, the gesture, the facial expression. The content of this image gives it a universal dimension. At the same time it is a touching illustration of late gothic art in which personal emotions were depicted within sacred iconography. At the back one can see the traces of hollow chisels, used to empty the inside of the sculpture. At the top of the head one can distinguish a hole, in which the metal pin was stuck to stabilize the wooden trunk during sculpting. The back features an old french label with text “Gothique, Rhénanie, XVième”.