2-933-217 - Heritage Art/Heritage Images

The Penance of Saint John Chrysostom, c. 1510. In the late Middle Ages an unusual legend was assigned to John Chrysostom, a hermit saint who lived in the wilderness. The story related that the daughter of the emperor lost her way during a storm and found shelter in the saint's cave. In weakness, he betrayed his vow of chastity and in guilt, threw her off a cliff. To repent, John crawled like a beast in the wild for many years, seen in the distance. Subsequently, the princess reappeared, alive, and suckling John's baby, who miraculously pronounced his sins forgiven. Attributed to Giulio Campagnola.