The Martyrdom of Saint John the Baptist

The Artist: For a biography of Bernard van Orley, see the Catalogue Entry for Virgin and Child with Angels (14.40.632).

The Subject of the Painting: This panel and The Birth and Naming of Saint John the Baptist (2001.216.3; see fig. 1 above)–the left and right wings of a triptych—depict episodes from the life of Saint John the Baptist, namely the birth and naming of Saint John and his martyrdom. In the former, the story begins at the upper left corner where an angel appears to Zechariah, kneeling at an altar, to announce the birth of his son, to be named John (Luke 1:5–25). Because of his wife Elizabeth’s advanced age, Zechariah was incredulous at this news and as a result was rendered mute by the angel. Indeed Elizabeth, shown lying in her bed, did give birth to a son. Three women bathe the infant John in the foreground; among them is the Virgin Mary in a simple fur-lined blue dress. It is Mary who then presents the child to his father in the middle ground, where Zechariah reads the prophesy of the angel from a scroll, and dutifully names him John.

The right wing relates the story of the martyrdom of Saint John the Baptist (Matthew 14:1–12; Mark 6:14–28; Luke 3:19–20 and 9:7–9). King Herod had married Herodias, the wife of his brother, Philip, thereby breaking the law for which John the Baptist openly rebuked him. Consequently, John was thrown into prison (at the far left), and Herodias began to campaign for the death of the preacher. She schemed with her daughter Salome, who danced for Herod at his birthday banquet in order to seduce him and exact from him her mother’s greatest desire: the head of John the Baptist on a platter. The scene of Salome dancing before her father in a wild frenzy takes place at the upper right, where the head of the saint is already on a platter, being stabbed by Herodias (as discussed in apocryphal fourth century accounts; see the Catalogue Entry for Aelbert Bouts, Head of Saint John the Baptist on a Platter, 60.55.2). In the foreground the executioner places the severed head of the Baptist on a platter held by one of two reticent female courtiers. Two musicians from the banquet gawk at the horrific event. In the far left background, the bones of John the Baptist are burned by pagans in order to stop the miracles taking place at the Baptist’s gravesite (according to Jacobus de Voragine’s Golden Legend).[1] Balancing the two wings at far left and right are, respectively, a live peacock and a bronze statue of a lion.

The Patron and Commission: On the reverse of the two paintings, superimposed on faux marble backgrounds, were painted a banderole with the motto FINIS CORONAT, passing behind a crozier, and a trompe-l’oeil painting of the Man of Sorrows (at left), and a portrait of a cleric facing left with hands clasped in prayer (formerly at right; fig. 2). The subsequently detached portrait was apparently preserved and sold independently by Parke-Bernet Galleries at an auction in January 1947, where it was listed as a portrait of "S. Bernard of Clairvaux by Bernart van Orley" (whereabouts unknown; fig. 3).[2] A veiled crozier is the sign of office of an abbot and distinguishes an abbot’s crozier from that of a bishop. The veil attached to the node of the crozier’s stem allowed the abbot to touch the crozier through the veil, as only a bishop was permitted to wear gloves. The link between the motto FINIS CORONAT and the abbot Jacques Coëne was made possible by the research of Jean Buzelin, who published the epitaph, citing the motto of Jacques Coëne in Douai in 1624–25 (Van Gelder 1973, pp. 170–72).[3] FINIS CORONAT is a shortened version of Finis coronat opus (the end crowns the work), a proverb that appears to have come into usage in the Middle Ages and thereafter was known in various versions.[4] The “end” presumably refers to death, and the “work” (implied here, but missing) to the life lived. Thus, Coëne would have aspired to a good death as the crowning achievement of a well-lived life, as in the tradition of the Ars moriendi (The Art of Dying), a popular fifteenth-century manual that related how to “die well” according to Christian precepts.

Originally from Bruges, Coëne served as abbot at the Benedictine abbey church of Marchiennes, France, from 1501 to 1542.[5] A well-known patron of the arts, Coëne early on commissioned several paintings from Bernard van Orley, including Christ Among the Doctors and the Marriage of the Virgin (ca. 1506, National Gallery of Art, Washington), which were once part of a polyptych.[6] Consecrated in the abbey church of Marchiennes in 1515 were two separate altarpieces. One comprises the Saint John panels discussed here, and the other is devoted to Saint Martin, representing The Knighting of Saint Martin (Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City) and The Adoration of the Virgin and Child by Saint Martin with Saints Peter, Paul, Agnes, and Thelka (private collection, The Netherlands; see Dunbar 2005, pp. 204–5, 207, 209). Following Max J. Friedländer (1937), Ludwig Baldass (1944) originally thought that the Saint John panels and the Saint Martin panels were part of the same altarpiece, the latter superimposing the former. However, as Van Gelder (1973) noted, they are mentioned separately in 1546 and 1555 inventories of the abbey church at Marchiennes (see Refs.) and were not installed in the same chapel. Furthermore, it would make little sense to encounter the FINIS CORONAT motto four times, as well as two portraits of Coëne, on the reverses of these two sets of panels when closed in triptych form.

The closed reverses of the Saint John the Baptist panels would have shown the portrait of Jacques Coëne in prayer, facing the devotional image of the Man of Sorrows (fig. 3). As in the stylistically related wings with scenes from the life of Saint Martin, the central element of the Saint John the Baptist ensemble is missing. In terms of Saint John the Baptist’s life, the major and subsidiary scenes respectively unaccounted for here are the Baptism of Christ and Saint John Preaching in the Wilderness. For the altarpiece of Saint Martin it is Saint Martin dividing his cloak for the poor. The fact that the key episodes from both saints’s lives are missing is a coincidence, and it is equally likely that such scenes were sculpted as painted. There was a thriving production in the late fifteenth and early sixteenth centuries in Antwerp and Brussels of sculpted retables with painted wings, a collaboration to which Brussels painters Colyn de Coter and the Master of the View of Sainte-Gudule contributed, as well as possibly Bernard van Orley.[7] Just when the Saint John and Saint Martin wings were detached from their centerpieces is unknown. By 1817 the Marchiennes church had been demolished, but most of its paintings had long since been dispersed. A 1792 French Revolution confiscation inventory lists the five panels of a Jan van Scorel altarpiece of Saint Stephen, but these were the only ones on the list also commissioned by Jacques Coëne that were still remaining.[8] Triangular portions are present on the upper portions of both the Saint John and the Saint Martin panels (see Technical Notes and Dunbar 2005, p. 201), and it is likely that these were added to eliminate the curved portions of an ogee-arched panel in order to convert these into independent paintings—unrelated to a triptych—for sale. An example of how the triptych may have looked, before being dismembered and the wings cut down, is the Passion Retable of Averbode (fig. 4).

The Attribution and Date: The Saint John the Baptist paintings are neither signed nor dated, and no documentary evidence confirms their attribution. However, just like The Met’s Virgin and Child with Angels (14.40.632), they can be related closely to the style of Bernard van Orley’s earliest signed work of about 1515–20, the Scenes from the Legends of Saint Thomas and Saint Matthew (the Brussels Joiners’ and Coopers’ Altarpiece). Comparing The Met’s Birth and Naming of Saint John the Baptist to the inside left wing of the Saints Thomas and Matthew altarpiece (fig. 5), one can see an identical pictorial strategy in play. Van Orley established open architectural structures and porches parallel to and at angles to the picture plane, within which he grouped his figures in distinct episodes of an extended narrative. He described spatial recession by establishing a few key figures in the foreground whose draperies spill over in exaggerated folds into the viewer’s space, and then strategically placed additional figures behind columns, and further in subsidiary scenes in gradually smaller sizes in the distance. Van Orley’s favored palette at this early stage was primary colors of red, blue, and green. The earlier date of the Saint John panels in relationship to the Saints Thomas and Matthew paintings is clear from several salient features. There is a less sophisticated description of space, a more restrained sense of ornamentation and decoration, less distinctively individualized faces that appear here more naïve in expression, and figural poses and gestures that are not as graceful or boldly animated as in the later work. This suggestion of an earlier date is also supported by the differences in the underdrawing on the panels (figs. 7–11). The Saint John paintings are a far less ambitious commission than the Scenes from the Legends of Saint Thomas and Saint Matthew and are considerably smaller in scale. Nonetheless, they also show a less refined sense of modeling of the figures and their draperies, and a more abbreviated, shorthand technique for indicating the features of the faces (see Technical Notes and Galand 2013, pp. 110–11 and fig. 79 with figs. 80–81). Abbey records show that the altars dedicated to Saints John the Baptist and Martin were consecrated in 1515. The altarpieces are thus likely to have been completed sometime between 1514 and 1515.

Maryan W. Ainsworth 2018

For Refs. mentioned in this entry, see The Birth and Naming of Saint John the Baptist (2001.216.3).

[1] Jacobus de Voragine, The Golden Legend of Jacobus de Voragine, trans. and adapted by Granger Ryan and Helmut Ripperger, New York, 1969, pp. 504–05.
[2] Sale, Art of Four Centuries, Parke-Bernet Galleries, New York, January 23–24, 1947, no. 228.
[3] Jean Buzelin, Gallo-Flandria sacra et profana, in qua urbes, oppida […] et pagi and […] gallo-flandrici tractus describuntur […] dein annals Gallo-Flandriae, Douai, 1624–25 as in Van Gelder 1973, and “Jan van Scorel in Frankrijk en Vlaanderen,” Simiolus 1/1, (1966–67), pp. 33–34.
[4] See undated research notes of Joshua Waterman in European Paintings Department curatorial files.
[5] On the life of the patron, see Charles De Lisas, Étude sur Dom Jacques Coëne, Abbé de Marchiennes 1501–1542, Amiens, 1856.
[6] Formerly thought to be a diptych; see Hendrikman 1999, and Hand and Christiansen in Galand 2013, pp. 142–43. Documents also state that Coëne commissioned works from Jean Bellegambe, Jan van Scorel, and Anthonis Mor (see van Gelder 1973, pp. 156–75).
[7] See Catheline Périer-d’Ieteren, “Les volets peints des retables brabançons,” in Retables flamands et brabançons dans les monuments belges, M. Buyle and C. Vanthillo, eds., Brussels, 2000, pp. 37–52; and Lars Hendrikman, “Christian II als Scandinavische Constantijn,” Millenium 15, no. 1 (2001), p. 56 n. 122.
[8] J. Guillouet, “Un polyptych de Jan van Scorel peint pour l’Abbaye de Marchiennes,” Oud Holland 89 (1964), pp. 89–98.

Support: The support was constructed from three boards, with the grain oriented vertically. The boards were originally held in place with dowels; two dowels are evident in the join at left in the x-radiograph (see fig. 6 above). The portrait of Jacques Coëne, originally on the reverse of the panel, was removed prior to 1936. Its current whereabouts are unknown (see Catalogue Entry and fig. 3.) The panel was cradled, which obscures much of the original reverse, but the painting of the banderole encircling the crozier is somewhat preserved, as is evident in the x-radiograph (see Catalogue Entry and fig. 2) Dendrochronological analysis indicated an earliest likely felling date of 1484, with a likely creation date from 1492–1524.[1] A barbe is present on right, left, and bottom, indicating that the original edges are preserved. The top edge was almost entirely cut, but about 2 5/16 inch of the curved original edge remains at the far left, which curves downward toward the left side, suggesting that the top was not originally a straight edge but an asymmetrical shape. At some point, the shaped top was cut just above the beginning of the arch to make the panel square, leaving a triangle of unpainted wood margin that measures 1/4 x 2 5/16 inches (0.7 x 5.9 cm).

The related panel, The Birth and Naming of Saint John the Baptist (2001.216.3) has a nearly identical triangular insert at upper right, suggesting that the two panels were similarly shaped and were mirror images of each other (see Technical Notes for 2001.216.3) for a complete discussion of the original format.

Preparation: The panel was prepared with a white ground. Examination with infrared reflectography revealed an extensive underdrawing, executed with a liquid medium (figs. 7–11).[2] Major architectural lines and figures were underdrawn, in a manner very similar to the Birth and Naming panel. Contours were laid out with seemingly swift strokes, often quite animated. As in the Birth and Naming, the more undulating and expressive lines were smoothed in the painting; see for example, the exaggerated curve of Salome’s brow in the underdrawing (fig. 10). The artist also added much hatching, which are often straight diagonals, and occasionally curve to suggest volume.

In some passages the underdrawing can be seen in normal light, particularly where the drawing was not exactly followed with paint, as in the executioner’s left calf or along the bronze lion’s back. One significant change from the underdrawing to the painting is the repositioning of the dancing Salomé’s foot.

Paint Layers: The handling of paint is remarkably fluid and accomplished, very similar to that in the Birth and Naming panel. Both seem to have been executed by the same hand. Van Orley used fabric to tamp the red glazes in the robe of the fallen Baptist at lower left. He appears to have created the green moss on the cobblestones at lower left by tamping with fabric as well. The artist used a rich color palette with stunning combinations. He favored jewel tones and juxtaposed strong hues, sometimes in the more common changeant pairings such as light blue to pink and green to purple, but also layered green glazes on top of blue, as in the executioner’s tunic. The effects are a bit diminished by color change: the bright orange boots worn by the drummer were originally offset by a deep red that has faded somewhat. Similar fading of reds has also occurred in Salome’s dress, now only slightly purple, which would originally have stood out more against her green-blue sleeves.

During the course of painting Van Orley made some adjustments to the musicians at center, and seemingly did not include the flute player at the outset. The figure of the flute player seems to have been entirely painted on top of the background. The artist also added the drummer’s right arm and hand on top of the painted background, beyond the reserve he had left, indicating he did not initially plan to include that either. In fact, the flute player’s right hand appears to have originally been the drummer’s right hand. The artist may even have painted a drumstick at first and then transformed it into a flute. He also repositioned the flute player’s left leg during the course of painting; the first position is evident as a pentiment. The artist also changed the costumes of the drummer and flute player pictured at center and at upper right: the color of their hose is switched. Adjustments to figures during the course of painting and even the addition of secondary characters has been noted in other paintings by Van Orley, including in the Election of Matthias from the Brussels Joiners and Coopers’ Altarpiece (Kunsthistoriches Museum, Vienna) and the Job and Lazarus Polyptych (Musées Royaux des Beaux-Arts de Belgique, Brussels; see Galand 2013, p. 109, fig. 81; p. 216, fig. 82).

The painting is in very good condition, aside from the changes in the reds as mentioned above and minor discoloration of green glazes, as is characteristic of copper-containing green.

Sophie Scully 2018

[1] Wood identification and dendrochronological analysis carried out by Ian Tyers, report dated April 2008. The report can be found in the files of the Department of Paintings Conservation. Only the board on the right, “board C” had sufficient tree rings for measurements; the other two boards were tangentially cut, so did not have sufficient tree rings present. “The last heartwood ring on board C dated to AD 1484, this ring was present at the upper edge of board C. Adding the minimum expected number of sapwood rings suggested the tree used for this board was felled after AD1492...it is appropriate to apply an eastern Baltic 8-40 year LEHR-usage range to this board. This provides a conjectural usage-date of AD1492–1524 for the panel.”
[2] Infrared reflectography completed with a Merlin Indigo InGaAs near-infrared camera with a StingRay macro lens customized for the wavelengths covered by the camera, 0.9 to 1.7 microns, September 2011.

Benedictine abbey church of Marchiennes (from about 1514; probably commissioned by Jacques Coëne, abbot of Marchiennes); [Roland, Browse, Delbanco, London, until 1935; sold to Kleinberger]; [Kleinberger, New York, from 1935; in joint account with Seligmann, Rey and Co.]; [Seligmann, Rey and Co., New York, until 1947; their liquidation sale, Parke-Bernet, January 23–25, 1947, no. 237]; private collection, Boston (until 1949; sale, Parke-Bernet, April 28, 1949, no. 70); Guillermo Butler Sherwell, New York; Ricardo do Espírito Santo e Silva, Lisbon (in 1954); ?art market, Paris; private collection, France (until 2008; sale, Sotheby’s, London, July 9–10, 2008, no. 7, to Diamond); Hester Diamond, New York (2008–d. 2020)