Saint John the Baptist

ca. 1450–75
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 305
Saint John the Baptist, who presents a lamb on an open book, refers to the fulfillment of prophecies of Christ, hailed by John as the Lamb of God. This sculpture, with the statue of Saint James the Greater exhibited nearby, was found near the church of Mouthier-Viellard in Poligny. The monumental dignity and voluminous drapery style derive from the work of Claus Sluter (active 1379–d.1406) and Claus de Werve (active 1396–d.1439), both of whom worked for Duke Philip the Bold at the Chartreuse de Champmol near Dijon in Burgundy.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Saint John the Baptist
  • Date: ca. 1450–75
  • Geography: Made in Burgundy, France
  • Culture: French
  • Medium: Limestone with traces of paint
  • Dimensions: 59 1/2 in. × 24 in. × 17 in. (151.1 × 61 × 43.2 cm)
  • Classification: Sculpture-Stone
  • Credit Line: Purchase, Joseph Pulitzer Bequest, 1934
  • Object Number: 34.44
  • Curatorial Department: Medieval Art and The Cloisters

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