Panel of Saint John the Baptist with Scenes from His Life
1464–1507
Medium
Tempera on wood, gold ground
Dimensions
59 1/2 x 28 5/8 in. (151.1 x 72.7 cm) Entire Retable: 139 x100 in. (353.1 x 254 cm)
Classification
Paintings-Panels
Culture
Spanish
Department
The Cloisters
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Cloisters Collection, 1925
Accession Number
25.120.669
Tags
Art Historical Context
This stunning panel by Spanish artist Domingo Ram, created between 1464 and1507, forms part of a grand retable—an altarpiece designed for a church altar—measuring over 11 feet tall. Featuring Saint John the Baptist at its center, surrounded by vivid scenes from his life, encounters with Herod and other figures, it exemplifies late Gothic religious art from Catalonia. The Cloisters Collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art preserves this work, highlighting its role in medieval worship where such panels educated the faithful through visual storytelling. Painted in tempera on wood with a shim...
About the Artist
Domingo Ram · 1464–1507
Domingo Ram (active 1464–1507) stands as the preeminent figure of late medieval Aragonese painting in the Calatayud region of Spain, where he documented his activity from Maluenda to surrounding locales. A master of Gothic retables, Ram led a prolific workshop that shaped local artistic production during the transition from the Middle Ages. Though his early life and training remain undocumented, h...