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St John the Evangelist
Unknown - Enlarge image
St John the Evangelist
- Object:
Panel
- Place of origin:
England, Great Britain (made)
- Date:
1440-1460 (made)
- Artist/Maker:
Unknown (production)
- Materials and Techniques:
Carved, painted and gilt alabaster
- Credit Line:
Given by The Art Fund
- Museum number:
A.151-1922
- Gallery location:
Sculpture, room 111, case 7
This Apostle probably comes from the upper part of a rood-screen and is one of twelve panels held in the Museum said to have come from a church in the town or province of Zamora, Spain (inv.nos. A.148 to 159-1922). The Apostles would have stood in a line just below the rood (a large figure of the crucified Christ). Each figure is identified by the inscription on his scroll and by a specific attribute, or symbol. Here st John the Evangelist carries the palm given to him by the Virgin Mary to carry before her funeral bier.
There are two sorts of alabaster. Calcite alabaster is very hard and was used in ancient times. This object is made of gypsum alabaster which is a fine-grained, soft and smooth stone. Although at first glance it looks a little like marble, which it was intended to imitate, it was much easier to carve due to its softness, and alabaster objects were therefore significantly cheaper to produce. Marble does not originate in England, so it was imported if needed, whereas in the 15th century there were important alabaster quarries in Nottingham, York, Burton-on-Trent and London. England was a major centre for the production of objects such as this one. During period, they were exported in very large numbers to Europe where they survive, unlike many examples which remained in England and were destroyed or greatly damaged during the Reformation.
