Saint John Bearing the Lamb (copy of the fresco in the cupola of Parma Cathedral)

This copy after Correggio's Parma Cathedral cupola fresco depicts Saint John bearing the Lamb, one of the many individual figures within the vast Assumption composition. The original fresco (1526-1530) was Correggio's greatest monumental work and one of the most influential ceiling paintings ever created. Held in the Victoria and Albert Museum, this copy served as a valuable study aid, making accessible details of the original that are nearly impossible to appreciate from the cathedral floor. The evangelist's figure with his traditional symbol demonstrates Correggio's ability to create powerful individual characterizations within a vast ensemble.

The figure demonstrates Correggio's mastery of dramatic foreshortening, with the saint's body convincingly projected downward as if seen from below. The copy preserves the original's warm tonality and atmospheric sfumato, which creates the illusion of figures suspended in luminous heavenly space.