Skip to main content
Advanced Search
Image scanned from a transparency and color-corrected by Pat Cagney.
Scenes from the Life of Saint John the Baptist
Image scanned from a transparency and color-corrected by Pat Cagney.
Image scanned from a transparency and color-corrected by Pat Cagney.

Scenes from the Life of Saint John the Baptist

Artist Unknown
Datelate 1300s - early 1400s
MediumTempera on panel
Dimensions36 x 29 1/2 in. (91.4 x 74.9 cm)
Overall, Frame: 43 x 37 x 3 in. (109.2 x 94 x 7.6 cm)
ClassificationsEuropean art
Credit LineGift of the Irene Leache Memorial Foundation
Object number2014.3.1.2
Terms
  • Saints
  • John the Baptist
  • Religion
  • Christianity
  • Angels
  • Animals
Collections
On View
On view
DescriptionTempera on panel painting depicting four scenes from the life of Saint John the Baptist. The upper right quarter depicts an angel appearing to John, the lower left depicts the dance of Salome; lower right depicts St. John thrown into prison; and upper left depicts the angel appearing to Zacharias, who was St. John's father, to tell him that his wife will bear him a son. This is one of a pair of paintings from an altar frontal. This is the left side of the two panel display.

Label TextScenes from the Life of Saint John the Baptist, late 1300s–early 1400s Spanish (Catalonia) Tempera on wood Like a modern-day comic book, the story of Saint John the Baptist unfolds across a series of panels marking the highpoints of his life. It begins at the upper left with scenes from the lives of his parents, Zechariah and Elisabeth, and concludes on the lower right with his imprisonment, beheading, and burial. This direct presentation of discrete episodes is typical of early medieval narratives, which were designed to convey their storylines to the viewer as clearly as possibly. To ensure viewers could follow along, the names of its major figures—Jesus, Herod, and John—are inscribed above the scenes featuring them. Gift of the Irene Leache Memorial Foundation 2014.3.1.1–.2
eMuseum
Copyright © eMuseum