Head of Christ and an Apostle (St John)

This 1727 head study of Christ and an Apostle, probably Saint John, in the Royal Collection was likely preparatory for a Last Supper or related narrative composition. The contrast between the two heads—Christ's serene authority and the apostle's younger, more emotionally open face—encapsulates the devotional relationship Ricci sought to render in his religious paintings. Such studies demonstrate how Ricci worked out compositional and expressive problems through rapid painted sketches before committing to large finished canvases. The pairing of Christ and Saint John specifically evokes the Last Supper tradition in which the Beloved Disciple reclines against the Lord, and these studies may relate to one of Ricci's unidentified larger works.

The contrasting heads are painted with Ricci's characteristic fluidity, the divine serenity of Christ and the more earthly character of the apostle distinguished through subtle differences in handling and expression.