Roundel with Saint John the Baptist
ca. 1520 or modern
Medium
Colorless glass, silver stain, vitreous paint
Dimensions
Overall Diam.: 9 1/2 in. (24.1 cm)
Classification
Glass-Stained
Culture
South Netherlandish
Department
The Cloisters
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Cloisters Collection, 1932
Accession Number
32.24.26
Tags
Art Historical Context
This exquisite stained glass roundel, *Roundel with Saint John the Baptist and attributed to the Pseudo-Ortkens workshop,ails from the South Netherlandish tradition around 1520—or possibly a fine modern reproduction. Measuring 9 1/2 inches in, it captures the revered saint, likely accompanied by the symbolic Lamb of God, a motif evoking John's proclamation of Christ as the "Lamb who takes away the sin of the world" (John 1:29). Such roundels were prized in Renaissance-era homes across the Low Countries, adorning secular windows or overmantels to bring spiritual elegance into daily life, blendi...