c. 1500
Saint John the Baptist Preaching
Bartolomeo di GiovanniItalian (active Florence), active 1458? - 1501
John the Baptist, patron saint of Florence, is here shown preaching to a group of lay women. The only other man in the scene wears Eastern dress and may represent the Pharisees who, according to biblical accounts, came to question John about his prophecies. This image was probably made for an association of women who met for prayer in a church or convent.
Rendered on canvas instead of wood, this picture may have been used as a banner. It is among the few Italian works on canvas from this period to survive.
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