Restored in 1990 with Save Venice general funds.

This undocumented bust of a young saint has long remained a mystery. Recently, scholars have suggested that it is the work of Tullio Lombardo and is likely a remnant of a relief of Saint John the Evangelist, commissioned for an altar in the church of Santa Maria Maggiore around 1513. This altar was originally adorned with a painting of the Assumption of the Virgin by Palma il Vecchio, and it has been argued that Palma modeled his depiction of Saint John the Evangelist after this bust by Tullio Lombardo.

The crisp, precise waves of the figure’s hair and the different sculptural treatment given to the surfaces — from coarse, folded drapery to smooth, supple flesh — are typical of works by Tullio. The parted lips and the pathos of the raised glance are also characteristic features of Tullio’s famous half-length portrait busts, and impart a dreamlike quality to this remarkable work.

The work was restored by conservators from the Marchetto e Bortolaso restoration firm, with the guidance of project director Ettore Merkel of the Superintendency of Fine Arts of Venice.

For select projects, conservation dossiers in Italian containing limited textual and photographic documentation may be available for consultation by appointment at the Venice office of Save Venice and the Rosand Library & Study Center. For inquiries, please contact us at venice@savevenice.org.

Tullio Lombardo (c. 1455–1532) [attr.]
Saint John the Evangelist
c. 1513–1514, marble
45 x 40.5 cm

Chorus Association: Church of Santo Stefano

Markham Schulz, Anne. The Sculpture of Tullio Lombardo. London: Harvey Miller Publishers, 2014.