Martyrdom of the Apostles: Martyrdom of Saint John the Evangelist

Stefan Lochner painted this Martyrdom of Saint John the Evangelist as part of his apostle cycle. According to tradition, John survived being boiled in oil and was the only apostle to die of natural causes. The miraculous escape from martyrdom made John's scene unique in the cycle. The tempera medium required careful preparation on a gessoed panel and a disciplined layering technique that produced precise, durable surfaces suited to the intricate detail expected of devotional painting. 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 depicting the failed martyrdom with Lochner's characteristic refinement. The cauldron of boiling oil and John's miraculous preservation are rendered within the decorative framework of the cycle.