St John the Evangelist

This figure of St John the Evangelist originally formed part of a Calvary group. Calvary was the name of the place where Jesus was crucified. The group included this figure, together a figure of the Virgin (Museum no. 714C-1895), with the Crucifixion at the centre. Such groups were usually set on a beam that supported the rood or cross in a church. They were found everywhere in the late Middle Ages. However, these particular figures have a very distinctive style. This allows us to be reasonably certain that they were made in the region around Tournai and north-western Hainaut (Belgium). Most sculptors in this area worked in oak. Limewood figures, such as this piece, are unusual.