Spanish school, following 16th century models; 19th century. "Saint John the Baptist". Painted and embroidered silk. Measurements: 57.5 x 37 cm; 67

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OLD MASTERS

By Setdart Auction House

Oct 20, 2021

Set Reminder 2021-10-20 07:30:00 2021-10-20 07:30:00 America/New_York Bidsquare Bidsquare : OLD MASTERS https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/setdart-auction-house/old-masters-7700
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• Lot Description
  Spanish school, following 16th century models; 19th century. "Saint John the Baptist". Painted and embroidered silk. Measurements: 57.5 x 37 cm; 67 x 46.5 cm (frame). This type of embroidery was an example of faith and devotion in relation to the Christian religion, as many of them were established as offerings from the faithful to their churches. With this type of work, mostly of an artisan nature, the faithful showed their loyalty to the church, which included them in the liturgical decoration. It should also be noted that these embroideries also belonged to private devotion, serving in many cases as an exercise in needlework. In this case, on a neutral background, and inscribed with flowers, the figure of Saint John the Baptist can be seen in great detail. The Gospels say of John the Baptist that he was the son of the priest Zechariah and Elizabeth, cousin of the Virgin Mary. He withdrew at a very young age to the desert of Judea to lead an ascetic life and preach penance, and recognised in Jesus, who was baptised by him, the Messiah announced by the prophets. A year after Christ's baptism, in the year 29, John was arrested and imprisoned by the tetrarch of Galilee, Herod Antipas, whose marriage to Herodias, his niece and sister-in-law, he had dared to censure. Finally, St. John was beheaded, and his head given to Salome as a reward for his beautiful dances. This saint appears in Christian art in two different guises: as a child, a playmate of Jesus, and as an adult, an ascetic preacher. The adult Saint John depicted here is dressed in Eastern art in a camel-skin sackcloth, which in the West was replaced by a sheepskin, leaving his arms, legs and part of his torso bare. The red cloak he wears at times, as well as in the scene of his intercession at the Last Judgement, alludes to his martyrdom. In Byzantine art he is depicted as a large-winged angel, with his severed head on a tray which he holds in his hands. However, his attributes in Western art are very different. The most frequent is a lamb, alluding to Jesus Christ, and he often carries a cross of reeds with a phylactery with the inscription "Ecce Agnus Dei".
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