Saint John the Baptist

Description This tile was one in a series with portraits of the twelve apostles and a Deesis (Christ flanked by the Virgin and Saint John the Baptist) in the middle. Images of Paul (inv. 48.2086.20), Peter (48.2086.27), Andrew (48.2086.24), Thomas (48.2086.3), Bartholomew (48.2086.29), Matthew (48.2086.25), Luke (48.2086.21), and John the Evangelist (48.2086.28) also survive from it, as well as fragments of three further, unidentifiable busts (48.2086.8; 48.2086.22-23). The Baptist is shown with hands raised in prayer toward Christ, whose image is now lost.

Provenance Nikos Avgheris, Istanbul, ca. 1950, by purchase; Robert E. Hecht, Ruxton, Maryland, 1956, by purchase; Walters Art Museum, 1956, by purchase.

Credit Partial museum purchase with funds provided by the S. & A.P. Fund, 1956 and partial gift of Mr. Robert E. Hecht, Jr., 1957