Saint John the Evangelist c. 19th century

Editor: So, this is Ignaz Bergmann’s "Saint John the Evangelist." It's at the Harvard Art Museums, though it doesn't have a specific date. It's got this almost dreamlike quality with the soft lighting. What's your take on this? Curator: It whispers of faith, doesn’t it? I see a man caught between worlds, the earthly bricks behind him and the ethereal landscape beyond. What's in the chalice, do you think? Poison, or a promise? Maybe Bergmann is asking us to choose. Editor: Wow, I hadn't thought of it that way. It's more complex than I initially perceived. Thank you for the insight! Curator: Art's like that, isn't it? A mirror reflecting our own tangled thoughts and yearnings. I see something new every time.