The Japanese Society for Aesthetics

Aesthetics No.22 (2018): 55-69

The dome painting of San Giovanni Evangelista in Parma:
The relationship between Correggio’s form and content,
depending on the viewer and the viewer’s position
YURIKUSA Mariko

Nagoya University, Nagoya

Antonio Allegri da Correggio (c. 1489-1534), a High Renaissance Italian painter, frescoed
the dome in the monastery of San Giovanni Evangelista in Parma in Italy from 1520 to 1521 (fig.
1). At the time of his work, the monastery belonged to a Benedictine monastic reform group, theCassinese Congregation, and it was this Congregation that commissioned the work. Built in the10th century, the monastery originally belonged to the Order of St. Benedict, which in 1477
merged with the Cassinese Congregation (until 1505 called “the Congregation of Santa
Giustina”) [1]. As for the church, its present-day structure was built between 1490 and 1519
under the supervision of Cassinese monks, while Correggio frescoed the dome, the apse, thelunette, and the choir and nave frieze from 1520 to 1524.
In this paper, I would like to reconsider the interpretation of the subject of the dome
painting given in previous studies, while seeking evidence from an iconographic tradition andthe breviary used in this monastery. Then, based on my new interpretation, I will examine therelationship between Correggio’s form and content, considering the viewer’s locations in the
church. It will be revealed that Correggio put a great consideration to the religious context of the
Cassinese Congregation, with which he had a special relationship [2].

1. Overview of the artwork and problems of previous research
An isolated figure of Christ hovers in the center of the crossing dome, ringed by eleven of
the Apostles, among whom only St. Peter with the keys is identifiable. At the base of the westernside of the dome, just above the cornice near the nave, aged St. John, the patron of the monastery,is placed below all the other Apostles (fig. 2). This figure of St. John is tucked under the front
rim of the dome, and completely invisible from the nave (fig. 3). Because of the placement, St.
John is concealed from the eyes of the praying faithful and visible only to the monks.
This painting has been attracting the interest of scholars for many years. However, there has
been some disagreement regarding what exactly it depicts. There are two mainstream theories
explaining the theme.
According to the first theory, the painting represents the Assumption of St. John, as narrated
in the Golden Legend [3]. According to St. Isidore of Seville, at the age of 99, St. John was visitedby Christ and the other Apostles and invited to their feast in heaven. Even before Correggio, this
episode of St. John’s Assumption had not been an uncommon subject in art [4]. Two of the mostcelebrated examples are Giotto’s fresco in the Peruzzi Chapel in Santa Croce (fig. 4), andDonatello’s relief in the Old Sacristy of San Lorenzo, both in Florence.

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YURIKUSA MarikoFig. 1 Correggio, Domeand Pendentives, 152021. Fresco. Parma, San
Giovanni Evangelista.

Fig. 2 Saint John the Evangelist (detail offig. 1).

Fig. 4 Giotto. Assumption of Saint John the
Evangelist. c. 1315. Fresco. Peruzzi Chapel,
Santa Croce. Florence. Raffaello Bencini/Alinari
Archives, Florence / distributed by AMF.

Fig. 3 View of the dome of San
Giovanni Evangelista fromthe west (the figure of SaintJohn is invisible).

The dome painting of San Giovanni Evangelista in Parma

57

The second theory, on the other hand, claims that the fresco represents the apocalyptic
vision St. John had on Patmos, namely, not The Assumption of St. John, but rather the
representation of The Second Coming, as it is described in the Book of Revelation 1:7 [5]. The
scholars who support this interpretation compare Correggio’s fresco with the iconographicaltradition of dome painting. According to their view, just like in the 9th century center dome ofHaghia Sophia, Thessaloniki, Correggio adhered in a formal sense to the ancient traditions of
the dome-painting with a representation of Christ’s Ascension as the Second Coming [6].
However, the scene of the ceiling painting where Jesus is accompanied by His disciples does notcoincide with the description of Apocalypse, and there is no other example of an art work withthe same theme.
From this it can be seen that the previous studies offer two different interpretations of the
frescoed ceiling: The generally accepted is The Assumption of St. John, and the alternative is The
Second Coming.
However, Shearman, a modern British art historian has put out a third theory. Focusing his
attention on the viewer’s position, he offered an interpretation suggesting that general visitors
in the nave were presented with The Second Coming, while The Vision of St. John on Patmos isshown to the monks in the choir [7]. Although Eskerdjian suggests the possibility that the image
is synthesizing both the themes of The Assumption of St. John and The Second Coming, he only
briefly mentions it and does not develop this idea further [8]. As it follows, in this paper I would
like to demonstrate that, in fact, in that fresco Correggio actually combined both events: The
Assumption of St. John and The Second Coming.

2. The liturgy on the feast day of St. John Evangelist
Following Büttner’s research [9], I focused on the liturgy on the feast day of St. John
Evangelist for the 27th December, as prescribed in Cassinese breviary of 1506 [10].
Büttner, who first focused on the breviary texts, pointed out that John's gestures and gazein Correggio’s representation are based on the liturgy of the Matins on the feast day of St. John.
Through careful examination of this breviary including some parts that Büttner had overlooked,
it can be seen that according to the liturgical context of this holiday, the Christ who received
Saint John just before his death had been explicitly linked to the Christ in the Second Coming at
the Last Judgment [11].
Let us observe the readings. In the liturgy of the Matins, monks praised St. John using
following antiphons [12]:“Jesus appeared to him with his disciples and said: ‘come to me, my well-beloved, for thetime has come when thou shalt sit at table with me and with thy brethren!’”And then,“St. John rose his hands to Heaven, and said: ‘I thank Thee for having invited me, for Thouknowest that I have desired it with all my heart’.”58

YURIKUSA Mariko

Next,“My Lord is by my side and he came and invited me, with my brothers, open to me the doorof life, and lead me to the banquet of meat.”
Between these antiphons, psalms 75, 96 and 97 are recited. However, Büttner, who pointed
out that the liturgy and the ceiling painting are closely related, does not look in details at thepsalms sung with together with the antiphons. It must be pointed out, though, that the Psalms
chosen here are concerned with the Judgment or the Advent of Christ. For example, after Christ
appeared and talked to St. John, they read Ps. 75: “At the set time that I appoint I will judge withequity.” (Psalm 75: 2). [13] Then, after Christ appeared and talked to St. John, they read Ps. 96:“O sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth.” (Psalm 96: 1). Finally, they prayedwith the words of Ps. 97: “The Lord is king! Let the earth rejoice; let the many coastlands be glad!”(Psalm 97: 1) Thus, a series of Psalms concerning the judgment shows that the antiphons related
to the depiction of the ceiling were used in the eschatological meaning.
Furthermore, as described in St. John’s Gospel, Jesus said the following words about St.
John, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you?” (John 21: 22) Theseambiguous words seem to imply that he might remain alive until the eschatological coming ofJesus [14]. In fact, according to some traditions, St. John did not die, but remains alive at an
unknown place like Enoch (Genesis 5:24) and Elijah (2 Kings 2:11-12) [15]. With this in mind,
let us observe the breviary again.
In Lauds, the following texts taken from the Gospel of St. John and St. Matthew were read
[16]:
“This is my disciple. What is it to you, if I want him to live until I return?
This disciple is the one who told all of this. He wrote it, and we know he is telling the truth.
I promise you that some of those standing here will not die before they see the Son of Man
coming with his kingdom.
What is it to you, if I want him to live until I return. Follow me!”In this context, we can understand that the words, “there are some standing here who will
not taste death”, quoted from the Matthew 16:28, point specifically to St. John.
On the basis of this fact, regarding his ultimate fate, it is assumed that Cassinese
Congregation adapted the interpretation that just like with Enoch and Elijah, St. John would not
die until the day of Apocalypse. In this connection, along with St. John and St. Augustine,
represented together on the northeast pendentive in this church, also Enoch and Elijah areincluded in the arches next to them (fig. 5).
In addition, from the point of iconography, there is another piece of artwork where theAssumption of St. John was interpreted as the eschatological event. The main panel of thealtarpiece by a Florentine painter, Giovanni dal Ponte, while concentrating on The Assumptionof St. John also includes the theme of The Descent into Limbo (fig. 6) [17]. Here, Christ with thebanner of the Resurrection is in a roundel in the center. In the spandrels, Adam and Eve, followed

The dome painting of San Giovanni Evangelista in Parma

Fig. 5 Correggio, Pendentive with Saints Augustineand John with Enoch and Elijah. c. 1522. Fresco.
Parma, San Giovanni Evangelista.

59

Fig. 6 Giovanni dal Ponte. Assumption ofSaint John and Descent into Limbo(detail of Assumption of Saint John the
Evangelist. c. 1420-24. Egg tempera on
wood. 277.5×257.0 cm. The National
Gallery，London - distributed by AMF.

Fig. 7 Cesare Aretusi after Correggio.
Coronation of the Virgin. 1587. Fresco.
Parma, San Giovanni Evangelista.

by John the Baptist, are being lead into heaven. This theme, drawn from apocrypha, anticipates
the salvation at the end of time. In the iconographic program of this altarpiece, by being
associated with The Descent into Limbo, The Assumption of St. John alludes to Christ’s Adventat the Last Judgment, and emphasizes its soteriological and eschatological significance [18].
The connection between The Assumption of St. John and The Second Coming on the ceiling
painting is not contradictory to the theme of the apsis. In the apsis we can see The Coronationof Virgin (fig. 7), which is related to Virgin Mary’s intercession at the Last Judgement [19].
Keeping in mind that the Assumption of John was often discussed in the analogy with theAssumption of Mary [20], the dome and the apsis also are connected with the resurrection of the
body of John and Mary [21].
Following these considerations, the meaning of the eschatological phase of the frescoed
ceiling in San Giovanni Evangelista became clear as the monks in the choir celebrated the liturgy.

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YURIKUSA Mariko

3. The experience of the viewers(1) The view from the nave
In this chapter, I will examine how the experience of the viewers of this integrated image,
namely, The Assumption of St. John and The Second Coming, changes depending on the locationof the viewer. Shearman has already discussed
the different experiences the viewer might
receive, depending on the position of the observation [22], but my interpretation differs fromhis. His interpretation claims that the ceiling
painting merges The Second Coming with The
vision of St. John on Patmos. Furthermore, hecompares the sights the viewers can have fromonly two standing points: that of the faithful inthe nave, and that of monks in the choir. Thatmeans he did not take into account many otherFig. 8 View of the dome (The viewer can see
possible positions of viewing. In light of the new
only Christ’s feet).
interpretation, that the theme of the ceiling
painting is not the vision of St. John on Patmos
but the vision of St. John being assumed into
heaven, I would like to review Shearman’sanalysis.
Let us now look at the view from the nave.
While looking up in the front of the church,facing the altar, the figure of St. John is occluded(fig. 3). As Shearman has already pointed out, we
may find ourselves in the psychological andphysical positions of St. John on the western side
Fig. 9 View of the dome (Christ’s figure appearsof the cupola. In other words, when we look fromat full-length).
the nave, we look up at Christ’s Second Coming
just like St. John does. However, what we cannot overlook here isthat this view is not given to everyone in the nave. The actual view
changes as the viewer changes the viewing point.
As the viewer enters the church, the cupola is almost invisible.
The first details can be seen after coming to about one third of thechurch’s length. From this point, in the dimly lit church the viewer
can see only silhouetted Christ’s feet, and neither the viewer nor
the Apostles can feel or notice the Divine presence (fig. 8). Only as
we advance some more, does Christ’s figure appear at full-length(fig. 9), and at the same time, we can notice one of the Apostles
Fig. 10 One apostle
looking up at him (fig. 10). It becomes clear that since Correggio
raising his face(detail of fig. 9).
determined the expression or the posture of the figures taking into

The dome painting of San Giovanni Evangelista in Parma61

account several viewpoints, the viewers in the nave can share
together with the Apostles the experience of Christ’s Second
Coming.
In the previous studies, it has been demonstrated that,comparing with the view that partially conceals Christ, the viewthat affords the whole figure of Christ is regarded as a complete
one. However, it is my opinion that in this case the view thatconceals Christ’s upper body is not an incomplete view, butrather the exact one that Correggio prepared for the viewers to
aid them in their meditation. For example, right after entering
the church, we see nothing but Jesus’ feet (fig. 8). This view
reminds us of a traditional type of Ascension iconography where
Christ is represented at the very moment he vanishes into
heaven, his upper body hidden in clouds, leaving only his feetFig. 11 Tiberius Psalter,
Ascension of Christ. 11th
visible (fig. 11) [23]. According to the tradition of thiscentury. © British Libraryiconography, Christ’s head symbolized his Divinity and his feet
Board Cotton Tiberius B.
symbolized his humanity [24]. So, the veiling of his upper bodyVI f15r.
in heaven while his lower limbs remained visible illustrates thepoint that corporeal vision could see the flesh Christ assumed on earth but not his Divinity. This
figure type asked the viewer to contemplate Christ’s invisible Divinity through his visible lower
half of the body. Based on the historical use of this image, it is possible to assume that the same
effect was also employed in this monastery. In the Acts of the Apostles it is described: “(A)s they
were watching, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. While he was going andthey were gazing up toward heaven.” (Acts 1: 9-10) Therefore, it is shown that Jesus did notdisappear in an instant, but gradually ascended into Heaven. Then, the following line proclaims,“This Jesus, (…) will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.” (Acts 1:11). Thisshows that Christ should reappear exactly in the same manner in which he disappeared at the
Ascension, which means not instantly, but gradually. Just like in the Second Coming, Correggio
also wants to show Jesus gradually appearing from the lower body.
Therefore, the viewer, as approaching to the picture, will have a different view of Christ,
depending on the distance. It can be concluded that Correggio, by exploiting the architectural
space, succeeded in inviting the viewer to enter into the image, and allowing him to internalize
the eschatological event as his own experience.
(2) The view in the choir
The following is the view of the painting from the choir (fig. 12). There, we can observe two
persons, “Christ” and “St. John, gazing directly at Christ”. Shearman regards this view as a “selfsufficient” view in which both the visionary and his vision appear [25]. It can be said that it isself-contained in that he will look at John and Christ from below with some distance. Certainly,
unlike from the nave, the viewer in the choir does not get involved in the subject. However, whenanalyzing this view while correlating Correggio’s artistic technique in the early 1520s, rather
than just completing the relationship between Christ and John, it becomes apparent that he also

62

YURIKUSA MarikoFig. 12 View of the dome fromthe east.

Fig. 13 Correggio, Madonna and Child with St.
Sebastian. c. 1524-26. Oil on panel. 265×161
cm. Dresden, Gemäldegalerie. bpk | Staatliche
Kunstsammlungen Dresden | Elke Estel |Hans-Peter Klut / distributed by AMF.
Fig. 14 Correggio, Martyrdom of Four Saints. c. 1524-26.
Oil on canvas. 157×182 cm. Parma, Galleria Nazionale.
Archivi Alinari, Firenze / distributed by AMF.

attempted to integrate the viewer in the choir using a technique different from the one in the
nave.
First of all, it is worth noting that John was pushed out to the foreground and positioned at
the lower edge of the dome (fig. 12). In order to establish a direct relationship with the viewer,
the composition of placing a figure on the foreground or the peripheral position, which is closest
to the real space, had been frequently used by Correggio since 1520s. For example, in Madonna
and Child with St. Sebastian (fig. 13), St. Sebastian, standing on the left side of the foreground,with his posture and eyes encourages viewers to adore the Virgin and Child. Also in the
Martyrdom of Four Saints (fig. 14), set on the right wall of Del Bono chapel in San Giovanni
Evangelista, St. Flavia located at the right end of the composition nearest to the real space isfacing the same direction as the viewer. Through this posture she introduces the viewer into theThe dome painting of San Giovanni Evangelista in Parma

63

picture. Similarly to these works, St. John, painted in the ceiling, is located at the lowest positionof the dome and is looking up at Christ, just like the viewer is watching him. Through thistechnique the viewer can easily put him/herself into the position of St. John and identify withhim.
In addition, the close-up of St. John’s face showed a complete surprise that Jesus suddenly
appeared (fig. 15). In the 1520s, Correggio depicted a series of works that focused on the internal
emotions of the figure [26]. For example, in Lamentation (fig. 17) the deep sorrow of those who
received the Body of Christ is contrasted with the gentle light, or in Ecce Homo (fig. 18) we cansee the face of sorrowful Christ looking ahead of him. A close-up of a face had been a common
technique since the Middle Ages [27]. First, the viewer is made to empathize with the feelings or
emotions of the painted figure, and then, the empathy strengthens the personal devotion of theviewer. Here, St. John’s expression makes us think how we would react if we were in his place,and through the reflection it makes us experience what he did, namely, seeing God face to face
(fig. 15-16).

Fig. 15 Saint John who gazes at Christ (detail offig. 12).

Fig. 16 Christ descending towards Saint John
(detail of fig. 12).

Fig. 17 Correggio, Lamentation. c. 1524-26. Oil oncanvas. 157×182 cm. Parma, Galleria Nazionale.
Archivi Alinari, Firenze / distributed by AMF.

Fig. 18 Correggio, Ecce Homo. Oil on panel.
99×80cm. The National Gallery，London distributed by AMF.

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YURIKUSA Mariko

4. St. John Evangelist and the contemplative life
Finally, I will examine why the view of the encounter between St. John and Christ was
revealed only in the choir. When we consider that there used to be a rood screen, now removed[28], we will notice the significance of this view, especially for the monks. In San Giovanni
Evangelista in Parma, nobody but monks could enter the enclosed choir, and so in this context
it is clear that only the monks were privileged to see the figure of St. John.
Let us turn again to the liturgy of the hours for the feast of St. John. In the recitation of thisday, first is given the passage from the Gospel of John 21:20-23 where John’s fate is implied [29].
Upon further examination of the Breviary, we can realize that it includes the reading on the fateof not only St. John, but also of St. Peter. It is a reading from the sermon of Beda Venerabilis,
and it contains the words of Christ that suggest St. Peter's martyrdom: “But when you grow old,
you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will fasten a belt around you and take youwhere you do not wish to go” (John 21:18) [30]. The choice of these texts contrasting the fatesof St. Peter and St. John relates to the traditional interpretation that this pair symbolizes the“active life” and “contemplative life” [31]. St. Augustine interpreted St. John as an exemplar of
the contemplative life. In his 124th Tractate, he contrasts the roles of perfect action and perfectcontemplation, as he talks about the order Peter received, “Follow me”:
“You follow me by imitating me in the endurance of temporal evils; let him remain till I cometo restore everlasting good? And this may be expressed more clearly in this way: Let
perfected action, informed by the example of my passion, follow me; but let contemplation
only begun remain [so] till I come, to be perfected when I come. For the godly plenitude ofpatience, reaching forward even unto death, follows Christ; but the fullness of knowledge
tarries till Christ come, to be manifested then.”(Augustine, “124th Tractate on the Gospel of John 21:19-25”)
There, the encounter of John and Christ is realized at the end of the time by “looking face toface” (1 Corinthians 13:12). In other words, the death of John means “the perfection of thecontemplative life” after the Last Judgment.
Traditionally, because he “leaned against the Lord’s breast at the last Supper” (John 21:20)[32], and “absorbed the gospel from the holy spring of the Lord” [33], and then received
revelation on Patmos, John is understood to have been given a position to gain an intellectual
insight to the truth over other apostles [34]. Also in Cassinese’s liturgy of the feast of St. John,
he is considered to have received special Wisdom of God, and praised using appropriate texts,
such as “She (Wisdom) will feed him with the bread of learning, and give him the water of
wisdom to drink.” (Sirach 15:3) [35] or “She (Wisdom) will exalt him above his neighbors, andwill open his mouth in the midst of the assembly.” (Sirach 15:5) [36]. In the lunette in this church(fig. 19), as if visualizing such idea, John is looking upwards in a state of ecstasy with theinscription: “He gains insight into the mystery of God more deeply than others” [37]. Thus, John
who deeply recognizes the mystery of deep in God in the liturgy and lunetta, is also presented asa symbol of “contemplative” in the dome. Therefore, the representation that St. John stares at

The dome painting of San Giovanni Evangelista in Parma

65

Fig. 19 Correggio, Saint John the
Evangelist. Fresco. 79×160 cm.
Parma, San Giovanni Evangelista.

Christ directly may be interpreted as the embodiment of beatific vision. The Assumption of St.
John that is concealed from the nave is revealed in the choir because it is an image that represents
the goal of monastic life, a direct vision of God.

5. Conclusion: Correggio and Cassinese Congregation
As discussed above, the dome painting, depicting St. John who is looking directly at Christ,
is closely related to the theme of beatific vision. There, in order to allow the viewer to feel
empathy as his own experience, Correggio elaborated on the expression and pose of St. John,
who is gazing at Christ with surprise. The abbot of the Santa Giustina in Padua, Ludovico Barbo(1381-1443), who founded Cassinese Congregation in the fifteenth century, is known for
introducing a subjective and emotional meditation practice derived from the “devotio moderna”
which was prevalent in areas north of the Alps at that time [38]. Correggio’s artistic attempt tostimulate the senses of the viewer through images, so as to be an opportunity to raise the spirit,
is closely following the emotional practice of this monastery.
It is evident from the records of 15 May 1521, which were written immediately after thework was completed, that his such attempts gave Cassinese monks sufficient satisfaction. The
document states that Correggio and his relatives were given a special permission to participate
not only in major celebrations, but also in the daily Cassinese’s liturgy such as Mass or Liturgyof the Hours [39]. This special acceptance of Correggio by Cassinese is not only a remuneration
for superior work production, but also a sign of appreciation of the depth of Correggio’s devotion
to this Congregation. This frescoed ceiling is a work that could be realized only because he had adeep understanding of the spirituality of the Cassinese monks.
For a long time, the studies on Correggio’s art have been mainly considered exclusively fromthe artistic style. On the other hand, in recent years, his style is being considered as combining
the theological content of the subject with the function of the work [40]. However, such researchmethods are still adopted mainly just for the research of the altarpieces. As I clarified in thispaper, Correggio, in the ceiling painting, developed the image while using the whole space of thebuilding. The image itself had a religious context different for a different audience, from theparticular fuction for the liturgy and the meditation of the monks, to the developing of the

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YURIKUSA Marikoreligious spirit for the lay congregation. From now on, until his culmination piece, the dome
painting of Parma Cathedral, we will need to consider Correggio’s art from the perspective of thereasons for his choice of a particular style and form.

Layout of San Giovanni Evangelista (in G. M. Toscano,Nuovi studi sul Correggio, Parma, 1974, p. 94).
no.1-13 Nave friezes (painted by Correggio, 1522-24)
no.14-16 Ceiling of former choir (painted by
Correggio’s workshop)
no.17 Lunette with Saint John Evangelist (fig. 19)
no.18 Apsis with Coronation of the Virgin (fig. 7)

Notes
[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]
[5]

B. Adorni, L’abbazia benedettina di San Giovanni Evangelista a Parma, Parma, 1979; B. Collett,Italian Benedectine Scholars and the Reformation: The Congregation of Santa Giustina of Padua,
Oxford, 1985; M. Zaggia, Tra Mantova e la Sicilia nel Cinquecento. La Congregazione
Benedettina Cassinese nel Cinquecento, Firenze, 2003; C. Steinhardt-Hirsch, Correggios>Notte<: Ein Meisterwerk der italienischen Renaissance, München, 2008, pp. 146-152.
For the relationship between Correggio and the Cassinese, see below: G. M. Toscano, Nuovi studi
sul Correggio, Parma, 1974, pp. 25-26; A. Muzzi, Il Correggio e la Congregazione Cassinese,Firenze, 1982.
V. Pignoli, “La cupola di S. Giovanni Evangelista in Parma”, in Arte Cristiana, 15, 1913, pp. 116122; A. G. Quintavalle, Gli affreschi del Correggio in San Giovanni Evangelista a Parma, Milano,
1962, pp.13-14; Toscano, op. cit., 1974, pp.55-61; E. Battisti, in B. Adorni, op. cit., 1979, pp. 119124; G. Ercoli, Arte e fortuna del Correggio, Modena, 1982, pp. 19-20; P. Mendogni, Il Correggioa Parma, Parma, 1989, pp. 57-60.
L. Réau, Iconographie de l’art chrétien, tome III, Paris, 1958, pp. 718-719; G. Kaftal, Iconographyof the Saints in Central and South Italian Schools of Painting, Firenze, 1986, pp. 559-568.
P. Bianconi, Tutta la pittura del Correggio, Milano, 1953, p.16; S. Bottari, Correggio, 1961,
Milano, p. 22; A. C. Quintavalle, Tout l’œuvre peint de Corrège, Milan, 1970, pp. 97-98, n.49; C.
Gould, The Paintings of Correggio, London, 1976, p.67-76; J. Shearman, “Correggio’s illusionism”,

The dome painting of San Giovanni Evangelista in Parma

[6]
[7]
[8]
[9]
[10]

[11]

[12]

[13]
[14]
[15]

[16]

[17]

[18]
[19]
[20]
[21]
[22]
[23]

67

in La prospettiva rinascimentale: codificazioni e trasgressioni, 1980, pp. 281-294; id., Only
Connect…, Art and the Spectator in the Italian Renaissance, Princeton, 1992, pp. 181-186.
Shearman, op. cit., 1992, pp. 158, 183.
Shearman, art. cit., 1980, pp. 282-284; id., op. cit., 1992, pp. 183-184.
D. Ekserdjian, Correggio, New Haven and London,1997, p. 100.
F. Büttner, “Correggios “Marienkrönung” in San Giovanni Evangelista in Parma”, in Opere e giorni.
Studi su mille anni di arte europea dedicati a Max Seidel, Venedig, 2001, pp. 485-498.
Breviarium monasticum secundum ritum et morem monachorum ordinis sancti benedicti deobservantia cassinensis congregationis alius sancte iustine, Venetiis, 1506.
V. Alberici (“Gli affreschi del Correggio nella chiesa di San Giovanni Evangelista alla luce dellaliturgia medievale”, in Aurea Parma, 93, 2009, pp. 65-78.) also finds the same liturgy in the
Dominican Order from the beginning of the 14th century and considers the relations of Correggio’s
works with the liturgy, but she does not refer to Büttner’s paper. I follow Büttner’s consideration,in which he noticed the relationship of the dome painting with the Cassinese Breviary used at thetime of Correggio’s work.
Regarding the Cassinese liturgy of the Feast of St. John, there are some points in common with theBenedictine order, such as lectio and responsorium, but there are also many changes. For example,
the selected Psalms in Matins are common with the Benedictine liturgy, but the Antiphon, which
Büttner associated with the Correggio’s painting, is not found in the text of the Benedictine Order.
The original Benedictine breviary can be found on the following web site: Divinum Officium;
http://divinumofficium.com/
Breviarium, 1506, fol. 29v: “Apparuit caro suo ioanni dominus iesus Christus cum discipulis suis
et ait illi: veni dilecte meus ad me: quia tempus est ut epuleris in conuiuio meo cum fratribus tuis.
Ps.74(75) Expandens manus suas ad deum dixit: gratias tibi ago: veniens inuitasti me: sciens quod
ex toto corde meo desideram te. Ps.95(96) Domine suscipe me: ut cum fratribus meis sim: cum
quibus veniens inuitasti me: aperi mihi ianuam vite et perduc me ad conuiuium epularum tuarum.
Ps.96(97).”
All Biblical quotes are from New Revised Standard Version.
J. F. Hamburger, St. John the Divine: The Deified Evangelista in Medieval Art and Theology,
Berkeley, Los Angeles, London, 2002, pp. 152-158.
M. Jugie, La mort et l’assomption de la Sainte Vierge, Studi e Testi (114), Città del Vaticano, 1944,
pp.716-719; J. D. Kaestli, “Le rôle des textes bibliques dans la genèse e le développement deslegends apocryphes,” in Augustinianum, 23, 1983, pp. 328-332.
Breviarium, 1506, fol. 31r; “Hic est discipulum meus: Sic eum volo manere donec veniam. Hic est
discipulus qui testimonium perhibet de his et scripsit haec et scimus quia verum est testimonium
eius. Sunt de hic stantibus, qui non gustabunt mortem: donec videant filium hominis in regno suo.
Sic eum volo manere, donec veniam tu me sequere.”This scene was depicted as the high altarpiece of the church of San Giovanni Evangelista,
Pratovecchio, a Camaldolese nunnery. See, D. Gordon, National Gallery Catalogues, The FifteenthCentury Italian Paintings, vol.1, London, 2003, pp. 104-117.
For the close relationship between The Descent into Limbo and The Last Judgement, see, A. D.
Kartsonis, Anastasis: The Making of an Image, Princeton, 1986.
P. Verdier, Le couronnement de la Vierge: Les origines et les premiers développements d’un thème
iconographique, Paris, 1980, pp. 9-16.
Jugie, op. cit., 1944, pp. 710-726; Kaestli, art. cit., 1983, pp. 328-332; Hamburger, op. cit., 2002,
pp. 147-158.
Büttner, art. cit., 2001, p. 490.
Shearman, art. cit., 1980, pp. 282-284; id., op. cit., 1992, pp. 183-184.
M. Schapiro, “The Image of the Disappearing Christ: The Ascension in English Art Around the Year68

YURIKUSA Mariko

1000”, in Gazette des Beaux-Arts, ser. 6, 23, 1943, pp. 135-152; R. Deshman, “Another Look at
the Disappearing Christ: Corporeal and Spiritual Vision in Early Medieval Images”, in The Art
Bulletin, 79(3), 1997, pp. 518-546.
[24] E. H. Kantorowicz, The King’s Two Bodies: A Study in Mediaeval Political Theology, Princeton,
1957.
[25] Shearman, op. cit., 1992, p. 184.
[26] A. Muzzi, “L’espressione del dolore in alcune opere del Correggio degli anni venti”, in Dialoghi di
Storia dell’Arte, 1, 1995, pp. 134-145; G. Periti, “Correggio, Prati e l’Ecce Homo: nuovi intrecci
intorno a problemi di devozione nella Parma rinascimentale”, in Emilia e Marche nel
Rinascimento: L’Identità visiva della ‘Periferia’, (a cura di) G. Periti, Bergamo, 2005, pp. 181-214.
[27] S. Ringbom, Icon to Narrative: The Rise of the Dramatic Close-up in Fifteenth-century Devotional
Painting, Netherlands, 1984, pp. 11-71.
[28] J. Shearman, “Correggio and the Connoisseurs”, in the Times Literary Supplement, 1977, pp. 302304, especially, p. 303. Regarding the rood screens in Renaissance, see, M. B. Hall, “The Ponte in
S. Maria Novella: The Problem of the Roods Screen in Italy” in Journal of the Warburg and
Courtauld Institutes, vol. 37, 1974, pp. 157-173; id., “The Tramezzo in Santa Croce, Florence,
Reconstructed”, in The Art Bulletin, vol. 56(3), 1974, pp. 325-341; id., “The Tramezzo in the Italian
Renaissance, Revisited”, in Thresholds of the Sacred: Architectural, Art Historical, Liturgical,
and Theological Perspectives on Religious Screens, East and West, ed. S. E. J. Gerstel, 2006, pp.
215-232.
[29] Breviarium, 1506, fol. 31r.
[30] Beda’s Sermons are designated for the Breviary readings for the feast of St. John as follows: J.-P.
Migne ed., Patrologiae cursus completus, series latina, tome 94, 1861-62, 0044D-0045A.
In the Responsorium, after reciting Beda’s sermon, Jesus’ words “What is it to you, if I want him
to live until I return?” (John 21:22) and the contrast between the fates of Peter and John are further
emphasized. See, Breviarium, 1506, fol. 30v.
[31] Hamburger, op. cit., 2002, pp.100, 153.
[32] Breviarium, 1506, fol. 29r, 30r, 31r: “Valde honorandus est beatus Joannes, qui supra pectus
Domini in cena recubuit.”[33] ibid., fol. 30r: “Fluenta evangelii de ipso sacro Dominici pectoris fonte potavit.”[34] Hamburger, op. cit., 2002, pp. 1-20, 95-164.
[35] Breviarium, 1506, fol. 29r, 30r: “Cibabit illum pane vitae et intellectus, et aqua sapientiae salutaris
potabit illum.”[36] ibid., fol.30r, 31r, 31v: “In medio ecclesiae aperuit os eius et implevit eum Dominus spiritu
sapientiae et intellectus, stolamque gloriae induit eum.”[37] “ALTIUS CAETERIS DEI PATEFECIT ARCANA”[38] Regarding the spirituality of the Cassinese Congregation, see, G. Picasso, “L’imitazione di Cristo
nell’epoca della ‘devotio moderna’ e nella spiritualità monastica del sec. XV in Italia”, in Rivista distoria e letteratura religiosa, 4 (1968), pp. 11-32; G. Lunardi, “L’ideali monastic di Ludovico
Barbo”, in Riforma della chiesa, cultura e spiritualita nel Quattrocento Veneto, Atti del convegno
per il VI. Centenario della nascita di Ludovico Barbo, Cesena, 1984, pp. 59-71; Collett, op. cit.,
1985; G. Picasso, Tra umanesimo e ‘devotio’, Studi di storia monastica, Milano, 1999, pp. 3-113.
[39] Archivio di Stato di Parma, chiesa e conventi soppressi: San Giovanni Evangelista, capsula 29. 1.
5. Here I refer to the following document: C. Steinhardt-Hirsch, op. cit., 2008, p. 355.
[40] G. Periti, Antonio Allegri of Correggio: Private Art, Reception and Theories of Invention in Early
Sixteenth-Century Emilian Painting, Baltimore, 2003; C. Steinhardt-Hirsch, op. cit., 2008; S. E.
Switzer, Correggio and the Sacred Image, Columbia, 2012.

The dome painting of San Giovanni Evangelista in Parma

69* This paper is based on my paper as it appeared in Japanese in Bijutsushi 177, vol. 64, no. 1 (2014): 8399, published by the Japan Art History Society. The paper was revised and corrected, updating somereferences and replacing some figures. I would like to express my appreciation to my advisor, Motokazu
Kimata, for his invaluable help. I’m also grateful to Zibi Adrianowicz for his kind help with thetranslation.
* Fig. 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 15, 16, 19: Photograph by author.