Dali created this painting in the summer of 1951 at Port Lligat in Spain. It is a reworking of a drawing of the Crucifixion believed to have been made by Saint John of the Cross.

Glasgow Museums purchased the painting and put it on display in Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum in 1952. The purchase aroused controversy at the time as many people felt that the price of £8,200 was too high. Today it is one of the best-loved works of art in the city.

Christ of St John of the Cross is currently on display in the St. Mungo Museum of Religious Life and Art in Glasgow.