St. John the Forerunner (St. John the Baptist)

Painting

Purdue University Galleries

Name/Title

St. John the Forerunner (St. John the Baptist)

Entry/Object ID

2005.02.086

Description

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.

Type of Painting

Panel

Artwork Details

Medium

Tempera, Oil

Collection

Betsy Scheuring Icon Collection

Acquisition

Accession

2005.02

Source or Donor

Betsy Scheuring

Acquisition Method

Gift

Credit Line

Gift of Betsy Scheuring

Made/Created

Date made

1850 - 1900

Place

* Untyped Place

Central Russia

Dimensions

Height

17-5/8 in

Width

14-7/8 in

Exhibitions

Wunderkammer II (2026)

Themes of Christian Art Drawn From Local Sources (2021)

Spirit Made Tangible: The Scheuring Icon Collection (2006)

Interpretative Labels

Label Type

Cultural/Historical Context

Label

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.