Fragment from Christ Carrying the Cross: Saint John the Evangelist

Jean Hey painted this fragment of Saint John the Evangelist from the same Christ Carrying the Cross composition as the Mourning Virgin fragment. The separation of these fragments from the original composition illustrates the fate of many altarpieces dismembered for the art market. Hey's consummate technique is evident even in this fragment. The oil medium allowed for rich tonal transitions and glazed layers of color that created luminous depth impossible with the older tempera technique. Such devotional panels served both liturgical contexts in churches and chapels and private devotional use in the homes of wealthy families who maintained personal altars and oratories.

Oil on panel with the Master of Moulins' characteristic refined execution and luminous palette. The saint's youthful features and flowing hair are rendered with the delicate touch that distinguishes this painter's finest work.