Attributed to Juan de Valmaseda (circa 1487-1548), Spanish, Castile, circa 1520

New York, The Spanish Institute; Dallas, Meadows Museum; Los Angeles, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Spanish Polychrome Sculpture (1500-1800) in United States Collections, 4 November 1993 - 26 June 1994, no. 9.

R. Polsky, in Spanish Polychrome Sculpture, 1500–1800: In United States Collections, exhibition catalogue, Fort Worth 1990, cat. no. 9.

Saint John is depicted here in a moment of contemplation, holding his Gospel in one hand as he writes with the other. His robes are richly adorned with gilding and punchwork skillfully imitating the sumptuous brocaded textiles characteristic of Spanish Renaissance. The relief has been removed from its original context, but it is possible that it once was part of a predella or banco, the base of an altarpiece which often featured the four evangelists.

The art historian Suzanne Stratton attributed the work to the Castilian sculptor Juan de Valmaseda in her 1993–1994 exhibition Spanish Polychrome Sculpture, 1500–1800: In United States Collections. Valmaseda is regarded as one of the pioneers of the Castilian Renaissance, and his works vividly convey the intense religious fervor that permeated Spain at the time.¹ Although his known oeuvre is limited, the sharply defined, angular face paired with the softly carved, stylized hair are characteristic of his style.²

¹C. Herrero Starkie, JUAN DE VALMASEDA: The rediscovery of a masterpiece of Spanish Renaissance sculpture. A study on a newly revealed Saint Jerome, Institute of Old Masters Research (IOMR), 2019.

²R. Polsky, in Spanish Polychrome Sculpture, 1500–1800: In United States Collections, exhibition catalogue, Fort Worth 1990, cat. no. 9.