St John the Evangelist (after Jacopo Sansovino)
16th century
The figure in this study corresponds closely to Jacopo Sansovino?s bronze relief-sculpture of St John the Evangelist on the sacristy door of the Basilica of San Marco, Venice. This drawing varies slightly from Sansovino?s sculpture, and the handling is very different from other figure studies by him, making an attribution to Sansovino himself doubtful. It is most likely that another accomplished artist admired the figure and wished to record it, possibly with the intention of using it elsewhere, as the drawing is squared for transfer. The use of red chalk and red wash was not common practice in Venice, and is more consistent with the work of draughtsmen from Lombardy.
