Saint John the Evangelist's Vision of Jerusalem

According to the Book of Revelation, Saint John had a vision of a new heaven and a new earth. Here, John kneels before an angel who delicately holds his hand and guides John through his vision. This painting was originally part of a large altarpiece consisting of sculptures and paintings made for the convent of Santa Paula in Seville. The solidity of John and the angel, achieved by Cano’s dramatic modelling with light and shadow, might therefore be explained by the presence of actual sculptures nearby. Cano left the project unfinished when he departed for Madrid in 1638.