Saint John the Evangelist c. 1527 - 1530

Curator: This is an anonymous work, "Saint John the Evangelist," found here at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: Immediately, there's something unsettling. The hatching creates a nervous energy, and the saint, although haloed, looks almost wary. Curator: The serpent in the chalice is a common symbol for St. John, referring to a legend where he drank poisoned wine that miraculously turned harmless. It speaks to the power of faith, perhaps? Editor: Or perhaps the ever-present threat lurking beneath the surface of religious certainty? The artist captures a certain fragility in this depiction, a sense that grace is hard-won. Curator: It’s fascinating how the absence of a known artist invites us to project our own interpretations onto the piece. Editor: Yes, it becomes a mirror reflecting our own doubts and hopes about belief. I leave with more questions than answers.