St. John the Forerunner (St. John the Baptist)
Painting
Tempera and oil on curved wooden panel bordered in red and black before fading into gold leaf background. The central image features a man with messy brown hair and a beard clothed in pink tunic and green robes. There is a golf hoop earring in one ear. He holds a golden cup with a naked male inside it and a piece of parchment with Cyrillic writing. He is framed by a red halo and there are Cyrillic captions in the upper left and right corners.
2005.02.086
Panel
TemperaOil
Betsy Scheuring Icon Collection
2005.02
Betsy Scheuring
Gift
Gift of Betsy Scheuring
1850 - 1900
Central Russia
17-5/8 in
14-7/8 in
Themes of Christian Art Drawn From Local Sources (2021)
Spirit Made Tangible: The Scheuring Icon Collection (2006)
Cultural/Historical Context
St. John the Baptist is seen here holding Christ’s body in miniature form in a chalice, symbolizing the notion of religious transubstantiation. St. John’s hair and beard are long and wavy and he wears a roughly spun, fur-like garment, alluding to his in the wilderness. His brow is wrinkled and his head is downcast in sorrow.
