St. John, Boxwood Sculpture, Spanish School, 17th Century

Dimensions: 20.5 cm high x 6.5 cm wide x 5 cmdeep
This delicate sculpture of Saint John the Evangelist,carved from boxwood, stands out for the elegance of its composition and theserenity of his expression. The saint is depicted standing, his hands claspedover his chest in an attitude of reverence and contemplation—aniconography that underscores his spiritual nature and his closeness to themost intimate episodes of Christ’s life.
The figure features a refined rendering of the clothing, whoseample, flowing folds create a strong impression of movement anddepth. The face, with its soft features and idealized youthfulness, corresponds tothe traditional depiction of Saint John as the youngest of the apostles.The choice of boxwood—valued since modern times for its hardness,fine grain, and suitability for meticulous carving—allows thesculptor to achieve a remarkable level of detail in both the anatomy andthe modeling of the garments.
Due to its formal characteristics andmeticulous craftsmanship, the work is a fine example ofsmall-scale devotional sculpture, likely created