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John the Baptist
Robert Campin, c. 1410
According to tradition, John the Baptist wears a hair shirt beneath a white cloth, the cloth linked to newly baptised Christians. The flag with the red cross is a symbol of resurrection. Behind him is a lavish, gold-patterned silk, which follows the old tradition of using the finest materials in the worship of God.
The Cleveland Museum of Art says the panel has been cut down at the lower edge and would once have shown the saint full length. It was probably the right wing of a triptych, with John looking towards a central image of the Virgin and Child.
Robert Campin settled in Tournai around 1405 to 1406. The museum describes him as one of the first artists to use oil-based colours in place of egg tempera, which gave the brilliant colour typical of the period. It is a very small panel, about 17 by 12 centimetres.
From the museum record
| Artist | Robert Campin |
|---|---|
| Date | c. 1410 |
| Medium | Oil on oak panel |
| Size | Unframed: 17.3 x 11.6 cm |
| Museum | The Cleveland Museum of Art |
| Credit line | Gift of the John Huntington Art and Polytechnic Trust |
| Accession number | 1966.238 |
| Licence | Open Access (CC0) |
Source: The Cleveland Museum of Art collection record. Facts such as dates, sizes and credit lines come from that record. The write-up above was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the museum record and standard references. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.
