Saint John (Front view, post-conservation)

The panel depicting the grieving Saint John along with another showing the Virgin Mary, also owned by the museum, were originally part of a larger Crucifixion scene representing figures mourning the death of Christ at the foot of the cross. The delicate modeling of the face and hand was achieved by applying vitreous paint to colorless glass and then stabbing it with a broad brush to create points of light. The paint was then contoured with a pointed brush, creating expressive, almost calligraphic linework, as seen in Saint John's tousled hair and distraught look.