Manuscript Illumination with Scenes from the Life of Saint John the Baptist
Medium
Tempera, ink, and shell gold on parchment
Dimensions
6 1/2 x 4 5/8in. (16.5 x 11.7cm) Mat: 14 × 11 in. (35.6 × 27.9 cm)
Classification
Manuscripts and Illuminations
Culture
South Netherlandish
Department
Medieval Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Bequest of George D. Pratt, 1935
Accession Number
48.149.16
Tags
Art Historical Context
This exquisite manuscript illumination, created around 1515 by the Master of James of Scotland—likely the Flemish artist Gerard Horen—captures vivid scenes from the life of John the Baptist, a figure in Christian tradition as the precursor to Christ. Hailing from the South Netherlandish school, this tiny parchment leaf (just 6½ x 4⅝ inches) exemplifies theulent world of early 16th courtly devotion, possibly destined for a royal Book of Hours owned by Scotland's King James IV. Featuring men, women, the saint himself, and symbolic lambs, it blends narrative storytelling with spiritual symbolism ...