The Japanese Society for Aesthetics

Aesthetics No.23-24 (2021): 76-88

Correggio’s Second Coming
in San Giovanni Evangelista in Parma:
Transfiguration and Resurrection,
and Divinity and Humanity*
YURIKUSA Mariko
Tokyo University of the Arts, Tokyo

Introduction
A High Renaissance Italian painter, Antonio Allegri da Correggio (c. 1489-1534), frescoed
the dome in the monastery of San Giovanni Evangelista in Parma in Italy from 1520 to 1521 (Fig.
1, 2). The monastery belonged to a Benedictine monastic reform group, the Cassinese
Congregation1, and it was this Congregation that commissioned Correggio to paint the dome2.
An isolated figure of Christ wearing a white shining garment hovers in the center of thecrossing dome. The Apostles on the clouds surround him, among whom only St. Peter with thekeys is identifiable. At the base of the western side of the dome, just above the cornice near thenave, aged St. John, the patron of the church, is placed below all the other Apostles (Fig. 3). This
figure of St. John is tucked under the front rim of the dome, and completely invisible from thenave. Because of the placement, St. John is concealed from the eyes of the congregation andvisible only to the monks3.
Regarding the interpretation of the theme, so far there is no agreement among the experts.
There are two mainstream theories explaining the theme. According to the first theory, the fresco
represents the apocalyptic vision St. John had on Patmos, namely, the representation of theSecond Coming, as it is described in the Book of Revelation 1:74. According to this view, it isunderstood that 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, just like on the dome of* This paper is based on the Japanese version printed in Bigaku 66, No. 2 (2015), pp. 25-36, published by theJapanese Society for Aesthetics.
1
For the Cassinese Congregation, see the following bibliography: B. Collett, Italian Benedictine Scholars andthe 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, vol. 2, Firenze, 2003.
2
For general information about the monastery of San Giovanni Evangelista in Parma, see: B. Adorni (a curadi), L’abbazia benedettina di San Giovanni Evangelista a Parma, Parma, 1979. Especially in the early 16th century:
C. Steinhardt-Hirsch, Correggios »Notte«: Ein Meisterwerk der italienischen Renaissance, München-Berlin, 2008,
pp. 146-152.
3
J. Shearman, Only Connect: Art and the Spectator in the Italian Renaissance, Princeton, 1992, p. 184.
4
P. Bianconi, Tutta la pittura del Correggio, Milano, 1953, p. 16; S. Bottari, Correggio, Milano, 1961, p. 22;
A. C. Quintavalle, L’opera complete del Correggio, Milano, 1970, pp. 97-99, n. 49; C. Gould, The Paintings ofCorreggio, London, 1976, p. 67; J. Shearman, “Correggio’s Illusionism”, in M. D. Emiliani (a cura di), La prospettiva
rinascimentale: codificazioni e trasgressioni, atti del convegno internazionale di studi (Milano, 11-15 ottobre 1977),
Firenze, 1980, pp. 281-294, esp. pp. 283-284.

Correggio’s Second Coming of Christ in San Giovanni Evangelista in Parma

77

Fig. 1
Correggio, The Second Coming,
Dome painting of the church of San
Giovanni Evangelista, Parma, 152021. Photograph by author.

Fig. 2
Detail of Christ.

Fig. 3
St. John Evangelist depicted at
the west end of the dome (adetail of Fig. 1).
D. Ekserdjian, Correggio, New
Haven-London, 1997.

Haghia Sophia, Thessaloniki in the 9th century. However, the scene of the ceiling painting where
Jesus is accompanied by his disciples does not coincide with the description in the Book of
Revelation, and there is no other example of an art work with the same theme.
The other interpretation is focused exactly on this representation, that is Christ with disciples.
According to the second theory, the painting represents the Assumption of St. John as narrated in
the Golden Legend5. St. Isidore of Seville explains that at the age of 99, St. John was visited by
Christ and the other apostles and invited to their feast in heaven. Even before Correggio, thissubject of St. John’s Assumption had not been an uncommon in art. Two of the most celebrated
examples are Giotto’s fresco in the Peruzzi Chapel in Santa Croce, and Donatello’s relief in the5
V. Pignoli, “La cupola di S. Giovanni Evangelista a Parma”, Arte Cristiana, 15, 1913, pp. 116-122; A. G.
Quintavalle, Gli affreschi del Correggio in San Giovanni Evangelista a Parma, Milano, 1962, pp.13-14; G. M.
Toscano, Nuovi studi sul Correggio, Parma, 1974, pp.55-61; E. Battisti, in Adorni, op. cit., 1979, pp. 119-124; G.
Ercoli, Arte e fortuna del Correggio, Modena, 1982, pp. 19-20; P. Mendogni, Il Correggio a Parma, Parma, 1989,
pp. 57-60.

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YURIKUSA Mariko

Old Sacristy of San Lorenzo, both in Florence. However, while they represented St. John moving
to heaven, Correggio depicted the figure of St. John who is still on the ground, separated by alayer of clouds. This feature deviating from the iconographical tradition has not been fully
discussed.
Thus, this ceiling painting has been interpreted either as the Second Coming (the Apocalyptic
Vision of St. John) or the Assumption of St. John. However, I propose a different interpretation.
I performed a detailed examination of the content of the Psalms and prayers prescribed in the
Cassinese breviary for the liturgy of the feast of St. John (December 27), the saint patron of thechurch 6 . The breviary from 1506 7 follows the interpretation of the John’s Gospel 21:20-23
implying that St. John would not die, but would be accepted by Christ at the Second Coming in
the Last Judgement. It is precisely because of this liturgy that it can be understood that in the
fresco we can actually see the Assumption of St. John combined with the Second Coming. In
addition, while examining the views of the work from different viewing points, I confirmed that
Correggio, taking into account the meaning of the subject, has formulated an idea that the Second
Coming was given to the laity in the nave, and the Assumption of
St. John was to be observed only by the monks in the choir8. The
figure of St. John, who sees God directly, would have been an
ideal model, suitable only to the Cassinese monks who gave
importance to inner meditation. Based on the above
considerations, I concluded that the fresco shows both theAssumption of St. John and the Second Coming, although whichaspect the viewer sees depends on the viewer’s viewpoint in the
church.
In this paper, based on this my new interpretation, focusing
on the iconographical features that have been overlooked so far,
especially found in the figure of Christ, I will examine themeaning of those features that the painter originallyintended. Correggio’s Christ (Fig. 1) is not similar to the Christ of
the Ascension / Second Coming (Thessaloniki, Hagia Sophia, 9th Fig. 4Cathedral decentury) to which Shearman compared Correggio’s 9 . It is also Majestas Domini,
León, Spain, 11th century.
different from the Majestas Domini (Fig. 4) which Toscano G. M. Toscano, Nuovi studi sul
showed as the source of Correggio’s Christ 10 , or the Christ Correggio, Parma, 1974.

6
M. Yurikusa, “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”, Aesthetics, 22, The JapaneseSociety for Aesthetics, 2018, pp. 55-69.
URL: http://www.bigakukai.jp/aesthetics_online/aesthetics_22/text22/text22_yurikusamariko.pdf, [2020/08/18]
7Breviarium monasticum secundum ritum et morem monachorum ordinis sancti benedicti de observantia
cassinensis congregationis alius sancte iustine, Venezia, 1506.
8
Yurikusa, art. cit., 2018.
9
Shearman, op. cit., 1992, pp. 156-158, 183.
10
Toscano, op. cit., 1974, p. 65.

Correggio’s Second Coming of Christ in San Giovanni Evangelista in Parma79

appearing in the works depicted the Assumption of St. John 11 . The feature of Correggio’s
depiction is that Christ wears pure white clothes. Because there are no examples of the same
expression of Christ in these works, some researchers in past have interpreted this work as the
Ascension of Christ12 or the Resurrection of Christ13 , in which Christ typically wears whiteclothes while showing his bare upper body and bare feet that emphasize his humanity. However,in previous studies, such early interpretations have been rejected because they do not explain the
figure of St. John depicted at the west end of the dome and the Apostles on the clouds. Against
that, in this paper, I will focus on the characteristic of the Christ’s figure reminiscent of the themeof the Ascension or the Resurrection. Then, I will clarify its meaning and give the interpretationof this iconographic feature in relation to the Coronation of the Virgin (Fig. 12) in the apse of thischurch. It will be revealed how Correggio elaborated the figure of Christ considering the themeof the entire iconographic program of this church.

2. The Second Coming adopted the iconographyof Transfiguration
2.1. The reconsideration of a previous interpretation
In the ceiling painting on the dome painted by
Correggio, the golden light of the holy light dyes the sky
and clouds. The light that shines the strongest andbrightest around Christ is gradually relaxed as it moves
away from the center, and changes to warm colors toilluminate the clouds that form the cherubim. This
expression has been pointed out to have a formal
relationship to Raphael’s Transfiguration (1518-20)(Fig. 5)14. John Shearman, in particular, focusing on therelationship between the clouds and divine light in theceiling painting and that of Raphael’s work from atheological perspective, discussed Correggio’s borrowing
Raphael’s elements 15 . Shearman’s view that Correggio
intentionally adopted the clouds and light motifs thatappear in Raphael’s Transfiguration is the key toFig. 5 Raphael, The Transfiguration, Pinacoteca
Vaticana, Vatican City, 1518-20. © Archivi
Alinari, Firenze / distributed by AMF.

11
As precedent examples, in addition to Giotto and Donatello, there are the Assumption of St. John painted by
Giovanni del Biondo (Galleria degli Uffizi, Florence, 1735-80), and Agnolo Gaddi (Pinacoteca, Vatican, 1390-95).
See: L. Réau, Iconographie de l’art chrétien, tome Ⅲ/2, Paris, 1958, pp. 718-719.
12
L. Réau, Iconographie de l’art chrétien, tome II/2, Paris, 1957, p. 590; G. Schiller, Ikonographie derchristlichen Kunst, Bd. 3, Gütersloh, 1971, p. 164, fig. 517, 518.
13
A. E. Popham, Correggio’s Drawings, London, 1957, p. 28; G. D. Wind, “The Benedictine Program in San
Giovanni Evangelista in Parma”, The Art Bulletin, 58, 1976, pp. 521-527.
14
Shearman, art. cit., 1980, p. 284; Id., “Raphael’s Clouds, and Correggio’s”, in M. S. Hamoud, M. L. Strocchi(a cura di), Studi su Raffaello, atti del congresso internazionale di studi (Urbino-Firenze, 6-14 aprile 1984), vol. 1,
1987, pp. 657-668. in part. pp. 666-667; D. Ekserdjian, Correggio, New Haven-London, 1997, p. 100; SteinhardtHirsch, op. cit., 2008, p. 158.
15
Shearman, art. cit., 1980, p. 284; Id., art. cit., 1987, pp. 666-667.

80

YURIKUSA Mariko

understanding the iconographical features of Correggio’s Second Coming, so let’s start with an
overview of his discussion.
Shearman interpreted the subject of the ceiling painting as the Vision of St. John on Patmos.
And he understood that the viewers in the nave would receive the apocalyptic vision that St. Johnsaw on Patmos: “He will come in the clouds” (Revelation 1: 7). In this point, he observes therevelation of the glory of God, and explains that when Jesus comes again at the end of time, hewill fully reveal his glory as God. On the other hand, the Transfiguration, from which Correggio
seemed to have borrowed the form of Raphael, was also an event in which the appearance ofChrist was changed by the glory of God. He appeared in front of his disciples on Mount Taborwith his face shining like the sun and white clothing (Matthew 17: 1-9; Mark 9: 2-10; Luke 9:28-36). Clouds dyed by divine light spread widely in both the paintings of Correggio and Raphael.
This concept of “glory” (the Hebrew “Kabod”, in the New Testament is translated into the Greek“Doxa”)16 is going back to the glory of Yahweh in the Old Testament, and is closely related tothe theme of Transfiguration and Second Coming. In this regard, both works show the glory of
God as portrayed in the Jewish tradition, using the cloud, one of the customary motifs of God’srevelation and intervention in the Bible17. In addition, Shearman cited Raphael’s Ezekiel’s Vision(Palazzo Pitti, Florence, 1518), which is more similar to the expression of Correggio’s ceiling
painting18. In this background, he understood that Correggio depicted the cloud as a motif thatoriginated from the glory of the Old Testament.
Shearman’s interpretation, which acknowledges Correggio’s borrowing from the form ofRaphael’s Transfiguration in this ceiling painting, is appropriate. However, his discussion,
limited to the cloud and light motifs, does not take into account the iconographical program ofthis church. In this, he overlooked the most recognizable feature of Christ on the ceiling painting.
Here, it is necessary to clarify why the figure of Christ in this work was adapted to the type that
reminds of the Transfiguration.
2.2. The Transfiguration and the Second Coming of Christ
Originally, the Transfiguration of Christ is a theme that is closely related to the Second
Coming in the Bible. The synoptic gospels describe that Jesus was divinely shining before theeyes of the three disciples, St. Peter, St. James and St. John, and that the disciples heard the voiceof the Father telling them “He is my beloved Son”. This event is said to have happened about aweek after Jesus himself had foretold that he would suffer, die and resurrect, and would comeagain at the end of the world. St. Peter, one of the disciples who witnessed this event, presents
the Transfiguration as a testimony of the Second Coming in his letter (Peter II, 1: 16-18).

16
A. M. Ramsey, The Glory of God and the Transfiguration of Christ, London, 1949; W. C. Loerke,“Observations on the Representation of Doxa in the Mosaics of S. Maria Maggiore, Rome, and St. Catherine’s, Sinai”,
Gesta, vol. 20, 1981, pp. 15-22.
17
W. K. Lowther Clarke, Divine humanity: doctrinal essays on New Testament problems, London, 1936, pp. 940.
18
Shearman, art. cit., 1987, p. 667. Besides him, this idea is also taken up by A. G. Quintavalle, op. cit., 1962,
pp. 11-12; D. Arasse, Les visions de Raphaël, Paris, 2003, pp. 50-51. For this work, see the following references: C.
K. Kleinbub, Vision and the Visionary in Raphael, Pennsylvania, 2011, pp. 115-119.

Correggio’s Second Coming of Christ in San Giovanni Evangelista in Parma

81

Therefore, the Greek Fathers, such as St. John Chrysostom (344-407), generally understand theTransfiguration as a manifestation of Christ’s divinity and as an event that prefigures Christ tocome back at the Last Judgement19.
In addition, the relation between Correggio’s ceiling painting representing the Second
Coming and the theme of Transfiguration follows not only such general traditional theologicalinterpretation, but it also specifically matches the specific context, namely, the Cassinese liturgy
and the iconographic program of the church of San Giovanni Evangelista in Parma. The
confirmation with the breviary published in 1506 and used in the monastery of the Cassinese
Congregation, shows that besides Ps. 28th (29) which praises God the Father, the Psalms sungwith the antiphon on the holiday of Christ’s Transfiguration include Ps. 96th (97) related to thebirth and return of Christ, and Ps. 23th (24) and 65th (66) related
to the Resurrection, which recall Christ’s Second Coming at theLast Judgment and reign of God 20 . Additionally, as for thesermon of the Fathers of the Church, the one by St. Jerome(340?-420), which commented on the 16th chapter of the Gospelof Matthew (16:27-28), is selected21. There, St. Jerome placed
the event of Transfiguration in the apocalyptic context andclarified the meaning of Jesus’ words related to his Passion and
Death, seen in the light of the subsequent events of the
Resurrection, the Second Coming, and the Last Judgment.
Furthermore, in 1556 the Transfiguration (Fig. 6) by
Gerolamo Bedoli (c. 1500-1569) was installed as the main
altarpiece of the church of the monastery 22 . Although it waspainted about thirty years after Correggio’s ceiling painting, theexistence of this altarpiece is another proof that the Second
Coming was related to the Transfiguration at that time.
Regarding the choice of Transfiguration for the altarpiece placed
Fig. 6 Gerolamo Bedoli, The
below the ceiling painting of the dome that had already presented Transfiguration, San Giovanni
the Second Coming, it has been verified that the Transfiguration Evangelista, Parma, 1555-56.
was interpreted as the event in relation to eschatology and B. Adorni (a cura di), L’abbazia
benedettina di San Giovanni
soteriology in this monastery. Also, in following Raphael’s Evangelista a Parma, Parma, 1979.
19
G. Schiller, Ikonographie der christlichen Kunst, Bd. 1, Gütersloh, 1966, pp. 155-161. in part. p. 156; J. A.
McGuckin, The Transfiguration of Christ in Scripture and Tradition, New York, 1986, pp. 109-113, 120-122, 172176.
20
Breviarium, 1506, fol. 362r, v. In addition to the Psalms listed in the text, the 45th (46), 46 (47), 47 (48), 83(84), 89 (90), 94 (95), 95 (96), 97 (98), 98 (99) were read on the Holiday of Transfiguration. For the interpretation ofeach psalm and its position in liturgy, see the following references: J. M. Neale and R. F. Littledale, A commentaryon the Psalms: from primitive and medieval writers, and from the various office-books and hymns of the Roman,
Mozarabic, Ambrosian, Gallican, Greek, Coptic, Armenian and Syrian rites, London, 1884 (reprint 1976).
21
Breviarium, 1506, fol. 363v, 364r. St. Jerome’s sermon can be found in J.-P. Migne (ed.), Patrologiae cursus
completus, series latina, tome 26, Paris, 1845, col. 121. (See below for English translation: St. Jerome. Commentaryon Matthew, trans. T. P. Scheck, Washington. D.C., 2008, pp. 196-197.)
22
L. F. Schianchi, in Adorni, op. cit., 1979, pp. 154-162, esp. p. 158. Regarding the circumstances of theinstallation of the altarpiece at that time: Toscano, op. cit., 1974, p. 66.

YURIKUSA Mariko

82

Transfiguration (Fig. 5), Bedoli is clearly conscious of the continuity with the ceiling painting ofCorreggio that enters into viewer’s sight at the same time. Therefore, when presented together, it
is possible that Bedoli’s altarpiece and Correggio’s ceiling painting, which both refer to Raphael’s
Transfiguration, reveal the theme of Transfiguration / Second Coming included in each work.
We can find some examples of similar merging of these two themes in Byzantine arts, suchas the work of the apse in the Saint Catherine’s Monastery on Mount Sinai (c. 565), the apsis
mosaic of church of Sant’Apollinare in Classe (c. 549), and Dalmatika of Charlemagne (14thcentury). In the apse of the Saint Catherine, the Transfiguration of Christ is represented together
with the type of Deesis (in which a lamb with a cross on the back and a medallion of the Virgin
Mary and John the Baptist on the left and right are represented), implying the intercession in theLast Judgement23. In the Apsis Mosaic of the church of Sant’Apollinare in Classe in Ravenna, ahuge cross symbolizing the Second Coming of Christ at the end of the time is depicted24. By
including Moses and Elijah, and a hand symbolizing God the Father, the painting also implies themoment of the Transfiguration. In Dalmatika, the front is decorated with the Second Coming, andthe back with the Transfiguration. Greenstain referred to this garment that was stored in the Papal
Treasury at the time, and considered the thematical relation between the Second Coming and theTransfiguration in Michelangelo’s Last Judgment (Vatican, Sistine Chapel, 1536-41)25. As seenin these works, the combination of Second Coming and Transfiguration is also found in theceiling painting and the altarpiece in the church of San Giovanni Evangelista in Parma.
Regarding Correggio’s painting, as mentioned above, refering to the breviary and liturgy of
the Cassinese Congregation, I have examined Shearman’s interpretation, in which he identified
the theme of the ceiling painting as the Vision of St. John on Patmos, and confirmed that theimage was not the Vision of St. John on Patmos, but the Assumption of St. John. Although theprevious studies don’t stress it, the theme of the Assumption of St. John is closely related to theresurrection of the dead at the end of times. In the following part, based on my interpretation thatthe ceiling painting shows the Assumption of St. John to the viewer of the choir, while the Second
Coming is presented to the public faithful of the nave, I will focus on Correggio’s intention, whichused the iconographical type of the Transfiguration.

3. The hidden theme in the ceiling painting: Resurrection of Christ / of the Elect
3.1. The iconographical type associated with the Resurrection
The characteristic of Raphael’s Transfiguration (Fig. 5), on which the formal similarity of
the Correggio’s ceiling painting is focused, is the representation of transfiguring Christ floatingin the air. There is no such description in the Bible, and his early conception related to this work
depicts Christ with the feet on the ground, according to the biblical description (Giulio Romano,

23

Schiller, op. cit., Bd. 1, 1966, p. 158, fig. 407.
Ibidem, pp. 156-158, fig. 405.
25
J. M. Greenstein, “ “How Glorious the Second Coming of Christ”: Michelangelo’s “Last Judgment” and theTransfiguration,” Artibus et Historiae, vol. 10, no. 20, 1989, pp. 33-57. in part. p. 41.
24

Correggio’s Second Coming of Christ in San Giovanni Evangelista in Parma

83

Albertina Museum, Vienna)26. As previous researchers have pointed out27, the completed work,in which Christ spreads his hands wide and floats in the air with his gaze upward, is remindingof the Resurrection and the Ascension that occurred after the Transfiguration, and the Second
Coming when he will appear again in the same way as at Ascension. Prior to Raphael, Perugino
also portrayed Christ of Transfiguration reminiscent of the Resurrection and the Ascension
floating in the air with both hands open (Fig. 7). This iconography of the Transfiguration which
combines the elements of the Resurrection and the Ascension / Second Coming is derived from
Italian traditions, in which these three themes are overlapping each other28. It should be notedthat the feature of Christ in the Second Coming in Correggio’s ceiling painting, which in the past
had been interpreted either as the Resurrection or the Ascension, had this background for its
creation.
In the middle of the 14th century, especially in Italy, when the Resurrection of Christ was
depicted, artists adopted the iconographical type of the Ascension and the Transfiguration29. Early
examples of such expressions include the works by Andrea da Firenze (Spanish Chapel, Santa
Maria Novella, Florence, 1366-67) and Nicolo di Pietro Gelini (Fig. 8). There, by floating theChrist of Resurrection in the air, both the Ascension and the Second Coming (in which the same
figure as in the Ascension is used) are implied, and at the same time, by enclosing the figure of
Christ in the mandorla, it is also associated with the Transfiguration. In the 15th century, Andrea
Mantegna also wrapped the figure of resurrected Christ with a mandorla and overlaid it on theFig. 7 Perugino, The Transfiguration, Collegio delCambio, Perugia, 1497-1500.
© Archivi Alinari, Firenze / distributed by AMF.

Fig. 8 Nicolo di Pietro Gerini, The Resurrection, Santa
Croce, Florence, c. 1370. © Archivi Alinari, Firenze /distributed by AMF.

26
For the sketches of Raphael’s Transfiguration: K. Oberhuber, “Vorzeichnungen zu Raffaels»Transfiguration«”, Jahrbuch der Berliner Museen, IV, 1962, pp. 116-149.
27
Réau, op. cit, tome II/2, Paris, 1957, p. 577; Schiller, op. cit., Bd. 1, 1966, p. 161; Arasse, op. cit., 2003, pp.
64-66.
28
Réau, op. cit., tome II/2, 1957, pp. 547-548, 576-580, 586.
29
Réau, op. cit., tome II/2, 1957, p. 547; Schiller, op. cit., Bd. 3, 1971, pp. 81-82.

YURIKUSA Mariko

84

image of Transfiguration (Fig. 9). Fra Angelico (Convent of San Marco, Florence, 1440-42),
Pintricchio (Appartamento Borgia, Palazzi Vaticani, Rome, 1492-94), and Perugino (Fig. 10) also
adopted this type. Giovanni Bellini (Fig. 11), in place of mandorla, used a cloud. They used thefigure of Christ floating over the grave, suggesting that he will ascend / return in the future. Further,by expressing the stunning light emitted from his
body, they also referred to the Transfiguration. In
other words, the element of the Resurrection,
Transfiguration, and Ascension / Second Comingpresent in the abovementioned works was usedinterchangeably, because all those events are related
to the nature of Christ revealing his divinity while
retaining his humanity 30 . Therefore, consideringsuch context, it is inferred that the Christ in
Correggio’s Second Coming functioned as a figure
reminiscent of Transfiguration, Ascension, and,Fig. 9especially, of Resurrection, all at the same time.
Mantegna, The Resurrection, Musée des Beaux-Arts,
Tours, 1459. © RMN-Grand Palais / Agence Bulloz /distributed by AMF.

Fig. 10 Perugino, The Resurrection,
Pinacoteca Vaticana, Vatican City, 1499.
© Archivi Alinari, Firenze / distributed by
AMF.

Fig. 11 Giovanni Bellini, The Resurrection,
Staatliche Museen, Berlin, 1475-79.
© bpk / Gemäldegalerie, SMB / Jörg P. Anders/ distributed by AMF.

30
The themes of Transfiguration, Resurrection, and Ascension were all the main themes of Christ with amandorla in Byzantine art: W. Messerer, “Mandorla”, in Lexikon der christlische Ikonographie, Bd. 3, Rom-FreiburgBasel-Wien, 1971, cols. 147-149; F. Bœspflug, Dieu et ses images: Une histoire de l'Éternel dans l'art, Montrouge,
2008, pp. 131-132.

Correggio’s Second Coming of Christ in San Giovanni Evangelista in Parma85

3.2. The relationship between Christ and St. John in the dome
In the theological interpretation of Transfiguration, as St. John Chrysostom and St. Jerome
showed, the figure of Christ who transfigured in front of his disciples foreshadows the figure of
Christ who will return at the Last Judgement31. In this respect, it can be consistent with the factthat Correggio has adopted the iconographical type of the Transfiguration for the Second Comingof the ceiling painting. On the other hand, the Transfiguration of Christ that manifested his
divinity while maintaining the material of the human body, foreshadows his Resurrection, and,at the same time, it has been also understood as the event related to the resurrection of the Electat the Last Judgement. According to Bede Venerabilis (673-735), the Transfiguration, in which
Christ was glorified in his body on earth, was the event through which he promised to show his
glory in his resurrected body at the Second Coming; in the same way, it was an event that
foreshadowed the glory that the Blessed will ultimately attain32. Bede’s interpretation that theTransfiguration would be a prefiguration of Beatitude itself was widely spread by St. Rabanus
Maurus Magnentius (c. 780-856), St. Anselmus of Canterbury (1033-1109), and St. Thomas
Aquinas (1225-1274)33. In particular, those appearing at the Transfiguration, namely, the two
figures from the Old Testament, Elijah and Moses, representing the times before the Law and thetimes of the Law, and the three disciples who witnessed it, representing the times of Grace, would
be treated as persons who will be glorified by God. Thus, it has been understood that theTransfiguration was a preview both of glory of Christ at the Second Coming, and the glory into
which the Elect will be resurrected34.
With this theological background, the image of Christ located in the dome has a special
meaning. This figure of Christ (Fig. 2), containing the elements of both Transfiguration and
Resurrection, faces St. John (Fig. 3). Like with Virgin Mary, some theologians interpreted thatthe body of this beloved disciple, St. John, was free from corruption and was carried to heaven
with his soul35. The painting on the west side of the dome, showing St. John being taken to heaven
by Christ who appeared on the earth again, is an image that promises the resurrection of the Electat the time of the Last Judgment. In this context, the Transfigured Christ is presented as an image
that is linked not only to the appearance of Christ, but also to the appearance of the faithful saved
at the end of the world.
Therefore, it can be understood that the background of Correggio’s adaption of the type ofTransfiguration in the ceiling of the dome was closely related to the themes of the Resurrection

31
Shearman, art. cit., 1980, p. 284; McGuckin, op. cit., 1986, pp. 120-122, 172-176, 269-274; Shearman, art.
cit., 1987, p. 666; Greenstein, art. cit., 1989, p. 44.
32
McGuckin, op. cit., 1986, pp. 290-292; Greenstein, art. cit., 1989, pp. 44-45. See below for Bede’s commenton the Matthew (16:27-17:9): Bede the Venerable. Homilies on the Gospels, vol. 1, trans. L. T. Martin, D. Hurst,
Kalamazoo, 1991, pp. 234-244.
33
Greenstein, art. cit., 1989, pp. 45-46.
34
McGuckin, op. cit., 1986, pp. 122-125; Greenstein, art. cit., 1989, pp. 44-45.
35
See below for the discussions of St. John’s Assumption: M. Jugie, La mort et l’assomption de la Sainte Vierge,
Studi e testi, 114, Città del Vaticano, 1944, pp. 710-726; J. D. Kaestli, “Le rôle des textes bibliques dans la genèse ele développement des légendes apocryphes,” Augustinianum, 23, 1983, pp. 319-336; J. F. Hamburger, St. John the
Divine: The Deified Evangelist in Medieval Art and Theology, Berkeley-Los Angeles-London, 2002, pp. 147-164.

YURIKUSA Mariko

86

of Christ and the resurrection of the Elect at the end of time. The Second Coming includes thetheme of salvation from death that will be realized at the end of time.
3.3. The figure of Christ in the Apse
The unique figure of Christ depicted in the apse in
the church of San Giovanni Evangelista in Parma can also
be understood in the same way as the one on the ceilingof the dome.
Following the ceiling painting, Correggio began topaint the Coronation of the Virgin (Fig. 12) on the apse
around 1522 36 . Like the Assumption of St. John, theCoronation of the Virgin is closely related to the
apocalyptic theme of Assumption of the Virgin, who wastaken into heaven with both soul and body37. Also, this Fig. 12 Correggio, The Coronation of thesubject is closely related to human salvation in that it Virgin, Galleria Nazionale, Parma, 1522.
anticipates and guarantees the resurrection of the chosen © Archivi Alinari, Firenze / distributed by
AMF.
people. It should be noted here that in the Coronation of
the Virgin, Correggio also depicted Christ in the manner that deviates from its iconographicaltradition. As already pointed out in previous studies38, the figure of Christ in the apse, who is
wearing a cloak on the naked upper body, also adopts the type of Christ of Resurrection as in theceiling painting. By using this form, the Coronation of the Virgin in apse also presents the gloryof God who has the same physical body as human beings. There, a historical relationship has
been suggested that the incarnation of the Son of God enables human salvation.

4. Conclusion
As for the interpretation of the entire program of the church of San Giovanni Evangelista in
Parma, Toscano’s positioning of the ceiling painting has been basically accepted in previous
studies without being examined in detail. Based on the above-mentioned considerations regarding
Christ’s two natures (divinity and humanity), I would like to reexamine his interpretation.
Toscano interpreted the theme of the ceiling painting as the Assumption of St. John, and heunderstood that through using the theme of the vision of Christ which St. John saw just before
death, in accordance with the medieval dome decoration, the ceiling presents Christ’s divinity39.
Namely, by adapting the traditional form of the Majestas Domini, the decoration of the dome is36

Toscano, op. cit., 1974, pp. 30-32; Ekserdjian, op. cit., 1997, pp. 95-121.
P. Verdier, Le couronnement de la Vierge: Les origines et les premiers développements d’un thème
iconographique, Paris, 1980; J-C. Schmitt, “L’Exception corporelle: à propos de l’Assomption de Marie”, in J. F.
Hamburger, A-M. Bouché (eds.), The Mind’s Eye: Art and Theological Argument in the Middle Ages, Princeton, 2006,
pp. 151-185.
38
F. Büttner, “Correggios “Marienkrönung” in San Giovanni Evangelista in Parma”, in K. Bergdolt e G.
Bonsanti (a cura di), Opere e giorni. Studi su mille anni di arte europea dedicati a Max Seidel, Venezia, 2001, pp.
485-498, in part. pp. 491-492.
39
Toscano, op. cit., 1974, pp. 55-61.
37

Correggio’s Second Coming of Christ in San Giovanni Evangelista in Parma87

related to the divine nature of Christ. On the other hand, the side arches of pendentives, in which
the themes of the Old Testament are represented as the prefigure of Christ physical events:
Incarnation, Death, Resurrection, and Ascension, are praising his human nature40. According to
Toscano, this theme related to his humanity is also repeated in the frieze decoration of the nave
walls, where the arrival of the Savior and his life is foretold through the prophets of Old
Testament and the pagan sybils 41 . Thus, Toscano considered Christ’s divinity and humanity
separately, and he also divides the themes of decoration on the architectural parts: He separates
the theme of divinity, occupying the dome, from the theme of humanity in the pendentives andnave walls. Within this framework, he interpreted the themes from the ceiling painting of thedome to the pendentives and nave wall as those related to the Logos (dome) and its Incarnation(pendentive, nave wall). And there, he pointed out the close relation with the Mass at the realaltar in this church42.
However, he neglects the characteristics of the figure of Christ on the dome that recalls theTransfiguration and the Resurrection, as considered in this paper. The Transfiguration and the
Resurrection are related to both Christ’s natures, not only his divinity as Toscano has interpreted
it43. Based on the considerations made in this paper, his interpretation should be revised from thefollowing two perspectives.
First, the dome painting shows not only the divinity of Christ, but also his humanity, bothnatures of Christ that are essential for Redemption. In the dome, the Second Coming is presented
to the viewer in the nave, and the Assumption of St. John is presented to the viewer in the choir.
The iconographical type of Transfiguration used in the ceiling painting suggests not only the
Resurrection of Christ himself, but also the resurrection of the Elect at the end of time. This pointis closely related to the Cassinese view of salvation. The monks of the Congregation, following
the Greek Fathers, especially St. Chrysostom, and from the western tradition, particularly St.
Augustine stressed a pattern of salvation through the “restoration” of human nature now broken
by mortality to the state before the original sin44. According to the monks, human salvation lays
primarily in the rescue from mortality and the restoration of shattered human nature to health by
Christ45. In the church, this fact was clearly shown by overlaying the image of Christ on the dome
and the apse with the image of Resurrection, and also by including the image of St. John who issaved by that Christ.

40
Ibidem, pp. 62-81. The four arches that support the four pendentives have one theme on each base, totaling
eight following themes: Aaron with a Flowering Staff and Moses in front of the Burning Bush, Sacrifice of Isaac andAbel Killed by Cain, Jonah Spouted from the Mouth of a Large Fish and Samson Pulling out the Gate of Gaza, Elijah
on Chariots of Fire and Enoch Taken Away to Heaven.
41
Ibidem, p. 88. The nave frieze of the church is divided into thirteen sections, and on each side of each section
there are seats of Old Testament prophets and pagan sybils with the prophecies and promises of Jesus’ life. In thecenter of the composition, there are alternately the scene of the lamb sacrifice representing the ritual of Old Testament
and the pagan altar, which St. Paul found engraved with “Unknown God” in Athens (Acts 17:23). Toscano understoodthat the theme of these images in the nave is related to the sacrifice of Christ and honors his humanity (pp. 93-101.)
42
Ibidem, pp. 66-68.
43
Ibidem, pp. 65-66.
44
Collett, op. cit., 1985, pp. 26-27.
45
Ibidem.

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88

Secondly, therefore, the theme of the ceiling painting is inseparable from that of thependentives and nave decorations. The glory of Christ with the resurrected body is presented in
the dome, and it was acquired after the passion and the death presented in the pendentives andnave. Considering the fact that the emphasis of the nave’s frieze (where the life of Jesus is told
through the inscriptions of the prophets and the sybils) is on this passion and death46, there is a
close relation between the nave and choir decorations of the church. Thus, the church of San
Giovanni Evangelista contains a holistic iconographic program that shows the sacrifice andresurrection of Christ having both divine and human natures, with the theme of the relationshipbetween God and humans. It seems that Correggio, who had a particular relationship with theCassinese Congregation, understood the meaning of this program and painted the Second Comingon the dome in a way which specifically contained the themes of Transfiguration and Resurection.

46

Of the total of 26 inscriptions of prophets and sybils, 14 are associated with Christ’s Passion and Death.

*I would like to express my appreciation to my advisor, Prof. Motokazu Kimata (Nagoya University), for his
invaluable help. I’m also grateful to Mr. Zbigniew Adrianowicz (Nagoya University of Foreign Studies) for his kind
help with the translation. This work was supported by JSPS KAKENHI Grant Numbers JP18K12241, JP19J00849.