St. John the Evangelist

In the Portuguese art produced during the transition from the Romanesque to the Gothic period, it was common to find the simple representation of the Calvary, with Christ on the Cross flanked by the Virgin Mary and St. John the Evangelist as witnesses to the death of the son of God. The dramatic nature of the theme is expressed in the gesture of the saint, who is depicted supporting his face on his hand, expressing his inner suffering. The schematic nature of the volume and the graphic work of the folds of his garments are forms still connected to the Romanesque production, as the vertical nature of the figure is also closely bound to the idea of the statue-column and its adaptation to architecture.