St. John the Evangelist

A youthful Saint John with long, curled hair is shown wearing a vibrant blue tunic and a heavy red mantle draped over his shoulder. He gazes downward with a serene expression, raising his hand in a benediction that causes a small, coiled snake to rise from a golden cup. The dark, minimalist background focuses attention on the luminous skin tones and the sculptural folds of the drapery.

St. John was viewed by Renaissance Neoplatonists as the 'Platonic' Apostle due to his Gospel's focus on the Logos, which they harmonized with ancient Greek philosophy. The motif of the serpent leaving the chalice represents the triumph of the spirit over toxic matter, a theme that mirrors alchemical concepts of purification and the transmutation of the 'venenum' into a life-giving elixir.