The Birth of John the Baptist
Medium
Or nué embroidery of silk and metal thread
Dimensions
H. 12 3/4 x W. 19 1/2 inches (32.4 x 49.5 cm)
Classification
Textiles-Embroidered|Textiles-Ecclesiastical
Culture
Italian, probably Florence
Department
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Irwin Untermyer, 1964
Accession Number
64.101.1381
Tags
Art Historical Context
Behold *The Birth of John the*, a exquisite or nué embroidery attributed to the Renaissance master Benozzo Gozzoli (Benozzo di Lese di Sandro), created between 1460 and1480 in Italy, likely Florence. just 12¾ x 19½ inches, this small yet opulent panel captures a pivotal biblical moment: the miraculous birth of Saint John the Baptist,told in the Gospel of Luke. Gozzoli, celebrated for his vibrant frescoes in the Medici's Magi Chapel, brings his flair for narrative detail to this ecclesiastical textile, blending sacred story with intimate domesticity. Crafted from silk and shimmering metal thre...