Dish with Saint John the Baptist in the Wilderness

The illustration of this dish highlights the young Saint John the Baptist, recognizable by his small cross and hair shirt, the latter referencing his life of penance in the desert. On the outer ring, the painter has rendered a series of gold acanthus leaves in relief, made by pressing clay into a mold to imitate the appearance of embossed metal. In between each acanthus leaf, two smaller red leaves are surmounted by a green and gold bud marked with a W. The back of the dish is decorated with two groups of concentric circles painted in ruby luster. The gold and ruby luster glazes, influenced by imported Spanish ceramics, give the dish a shiny finish. Giorgio Andreoli, a well known sixteenth-century maiolica painter, and his workshop were famous for their lusterwares. For more information on Giorgio Andreoli see 48.1331. To see other works by the artist and his workshop, click on his name in the “creator” field. For “maiolica” in general, see 48.1336.

Provenance

Provenance (from the French provenir, 'to come from/forth') is the chronology of the ownership, custody, or location of a historical object.

Henry Walters, Baltimore [date and mode of acquisition unknown]; Walters Art Museum, 1931, by bequest.