Saint John the Evangelist on Patmos. Apocalyptic Vision with the Virgin and the Dragon, Flemish School, ca. 1620

Saint John the Evangelist on Patmos. Apocalyptic Vision with the Virgin and the Dragon, Flemish School, ca. 1620

Oil on copper, 30 × 22.5 cm (without frame)

Flanders, first third of the 17th century

Follower of Maarten de Vos (Antwerp, 1532–1603)

Saint John the Evangelist is depicted seated on the island of Patmos, beside his eagle, writing the Book of Revelation. Above him unfolds the celestial vision of the Virgin “clothed with the sun,” crowned with stars and confronted by the red seven-headed dragon.

The composition is based on the celebrated engraving by Johann Sadeler I, executed around 1580 after a lost design by Maarten de Vos. That print, widely circulated in Antwerp and northern Europe, became a key source for later Flemish interpretations of the Apocalypse. In this version, the painter reinterprets the model with personal invention and atmospheric freedom, enriching it with a luminous landscape and refined color harmonies.

The angels surrounding the Virgin, rendered with silvery transparencies and almost spectral bodies, form a remarkably original element within early seventeenth-century Flemish painting. Their ghost-like presence suspended in light suggests both imagination and technical mastery.

The background with its arched bridge and calm waters blends natural observation and inventive fantasy. The dragon, with its winding and decorative form, adds a mannerist, visionary accent to the sacred vision.

This small copper painting exemplifies the virtuosity of Flemish artists who exploited the reflective properties of the metal support. The copper-based greens, with shimmering emerald and turquoise hues, contrast with the deep reds and golden highlights enlivening draperies and architecture, creating an inner radiance of remarkable intensity.

Condition: the Virgin’s robe and some marginal areas show very delicate retouching, due to the naturally lower adhesion of pigments on copper. Overall, the painting preserves an exceptional chromatic vitality and remains in good condition, with its original brilliance largely intact.