Description
Saint John the Evangelist in the apse mosaic of Pisa Cathedral occupies an exceptional position within Cimabue’s surviving work. It is not only among his last known creations but also the only surviving work whose execution by the Florentine master is directly established by contemporary documentation. It therefore provides the principal secure reference for evaluating the attribution of his other works and for understanding the artistic language he reached during his final period.
The figure stands beside the monumental enthroned Christ dominating the apse. Saint John is shown standing and slightly inclined toward the centre of the composition while holding a book in his hands. His attitude is quiet and contemplative, markedly different from the more rigid frontality of the central Christ executed by another master.
