Saint John the Baptist
(5000-1511)

Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh [away the sin of the world]. These words, inscribed in Latin on the scroll held by , announce the coming of . Standing against a gold and enclosed in a frame, Saint John wears a hair shirt that represents his ascetic life of prayer and penance. Using carefully curved brushstrokes, Luca di Tommè described the woolly texture of Saint John's shirt and the unruly curliness of his hair and beard. Patterned marks form the decorative around the saint's head. The prophets and , who predicted the coming of the , occupy the upper corners of the frame. This panel was once part of an , possibly for a church in Siena.

Tempera and gold leaf on panel (late 14th century)

by Luca di Tommè (Italian, active 1355-1389)