Saint John of the Cross (San Juan de la Cruz) 1675

This sculpture of Saint John of the Cross was created by Francisco Antonio Gijón, sometime between the 17th and 18th centuries. At first glance, the book in Saint John’s hand tells of divine wisdom, yet the angel resting upon it hints at something more. The angel, a messenger between realms, is a motif stretching back to ancient Greece, where winged figures bridged the mortal and divine. Over time, this symbol evolved in Christian art to represent spiritual intermediaries. The angel’s presence here evokes both comfort and the ecstasy of divine inspiration. Notice Saint John's upturned gaze and open hand, gestures that appear throughout the history of art in depictions of saints and prophets. Such gestures convey intense emotional states, engaging viewers on a deep, subconscious level. The angel suggests an emotional state of revelation, while the book indicates a thoughtful mind, both entwined in Saint John's contemplative stance. Such symbols remind us that the life of an image is never linear, it is a continuous cycle of resurfacing, and reinterpretation across cultures.