Spanish, 16th century

Overall the condition of the alabaster is very good. There are restorations to both ankles and possibly the proper left forearm. Part of the right hand is missing. There is a chip to the nose and a loss to the back corner of the base on the left side. There are further minor chips to the base, toes and curls.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

The fourth century saint John Chrysostom was a Doctor of the Greek Church. He spent part of his life as a hermit in the desert, and a strange legend grew up about him in the medieval period, perhaps confused with secular myth. It was said that he raped a maiden and afterwards killed her. In great guilt he did penance, refusing to speak and lift his eyes to the sight of heaven until a new born baby should pardon him. Miraculously the pardon was spoken by a three-day old infant and the saint discovered that the woman and her child were alive. From this tale St John Chrysostom's imagery took on some peculiar motifs. Albrecht Dürer depicted him on all fours like Nebuchadnezzar in his woodcut The Penance of St John Chrysostom in 1496 (Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York). He also became associated with the wild man of medieval lore, living in penitence in the wilderness and clothed with an unruly mane of hair.  In this he is the male counterpart to St Mary Magdalen who was frequently depicted as a desert hermit in the medieval and renaissance periods, with locks of hair cascading over her body down to her ankles.

RELATED LITERATURE
T. Husband, The Wild Man: Medieval Myth and Symbolism, exh. cat., The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, 1980, p. 9; J. Hall, Dictionary of Subjects and Symbols in Art, New York, 1974, p. 171