This small Italian piece, made of gilded bronze and mounted on a small base, depicts the last prophet of Israel: John the Baptist. We recognise the forerunner of the Messiah by his short tunic and outer garment of camel hair, cinched at the waist with a strip of cloth simply secured at the back.

The artist went to great lengths to capture the texture of the figure’s clothing and the asymmetrical sleeve ends and hem. The head, titled downward at a fairly sharp angle, features the long, dishevelled hair and beard that traditionally characterise this saint. The closed book in his right hand is an attribute commonly used in northeast Italy to identify Saint John. 

There are at least nine known versions of this sculpture, with minor variations, in different museums and private collections. The figure’s position and downward gaze suggest that it originally looked down from a high place, perhaps the top of a piece of furniture.

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San Juan Bautista. Saint John the Baptist, c. 1550
Saint John the Baptist
Anonymous Venetian

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Thyssen-Bornemisza Collections. Photo: © Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza, Madrid

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