Saint John the Evangelist, 18th century French school

Oil painting on canvas

In this pleasant painting we see the evangelist John portrayed, holding a pen in his hand in the act of writing the pages of his Gospel, while behind him it is possible to recognize the profile of an eagle, his typical iconographic attribute.

The graceful face, which still allows his devout attitude to shine through, which gives the painting a more intimate and delicate, not excessive, religiosity, is one of the typical characteristics for works intended for domestic devotion, as in the case of this Saint John.

From the representation of the Saint, the freshness of his features immediately stands out, he is in fact portrayed as young and good-looking: and it is precisely this iconographic particularity that makes the work fascinating and very pleasant, probably carried out on commission for a private room.

The painting presents the peculiarities of eighteenth-century French portraiture, characterized by a soft drawing and a skilful use of light. The rather marked chiaroscuro and well-calibrated shades produce an excellent result thanks to the play of light on the face, highlighted by the dark background of the scene.

The painting has been relined and is in an excellent state of conservation with the colors still bright and a very healthy pictorial layer.

The painting is sold together with a pleasant golden frame.