St. John on the Island of Patmos
Virgilius Solis (German, 1514–1562)
c. 1545–55
Medium
woodcut
Dimensions
image: 19.8 × 37.3 cm · sheet: 19.8 × 37.3 cm
Classification
Department
Prints
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
John L. Severance Fund
Accession Number
1954.565
Rights
Public Domain
Tags
male
About this artwork
Christian tradition says that after Christ’s death, John the Evangelist was exiled to the Aegean island Patmos, where he composed the Book of Revelation based on a series of prophetic visions. Here, Saint John gazes upward toward a vision of the woman of the apocalypse (traditionally interpreted as the Virgin Mary) in the top left corner. The artist’s composition implies that John’s vision was partially inspired by his isolation within nature—portrayed in a wide expanse featuring dramatic peaks ...