The Vision of Saint John

The Vision of Saint John, painted by El Greco (Domenikos Theotokopoulos) between 1608 and 1614, is a monumental oil on canvas that stands as a powerful example of Spanish Mannerism. This late work depicts the dramatic, apocalyptic moment described in the Book of Revelation, Chapter 6: the opening of the Fifth Seal. The piece is defined by its intense spiritual fervor and the highly stylized elongation of figures, characteristic of Greco’s final creative phase.

Saint John the Evangelist dominates the foreground, kneeling in ecstatic rapture as he receives the divine revelation. Surrounding him is a turbulent host of souls who stretch their arms skyward, desperately appealing for divine justice. Greco utilizes stark, unearthly light and vibrant, acidic color to heighten the emotional drama. The supplicant figures include several male nudes and female nudes, positioned dynamically amidst swirling, fragmented drapery. These souls represent the martyrs demanding the white robes promised to them in the biblical text. The presence of infants among the ascending figures further underscores the universality of the spiritual appeal for redemption.

This powerful canvas is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, where it remains one of the most significant works of Spanish Golden Age painting. The work is renowned for its visionary quality, which greatly influenced 20th-century artists like Picasso. Although the original painting is securely housed, its dramatic imagery is widely accessible; high-quality prints and studies of the piece are readily available as the artwork has long since entered the public domain.