Legend of the Mortal Remains of St. John the Baptist
after 1484, Artist: Geertgen tot Sint Jans
Legend of the Mortal Remains of St. John the Baptist
In the background the separate burials of the head and the body following the decapitation of the Baptist under Herod’s rule can be seen; in the foreground the opening of the tomb and the burning of the limbs on the orders of Emperor Julian the Apostate in 362 A.D.; in the centre the rediscovery of the rescued remains in the 13th century. This scene has been relocated to the late 15th century in which Knights of the Order of St. John Convent in Haarlem are depicted in a group portrait, which is the earliest in art history.
Object data
Object Name
Painting
Culture
Early Netherlandish
Dated
after 1484
Artist
Geertgen tot Sint Jans (um 1460/65 Leiden (?) - nach 1490 Haarlem) - GND
Material
oak wood
Dimensions
top cut: 172 x 139 cm
Framed: 194 cm x 161 cm x 11 cm
Image rights
Kunsthistorisches Museum Wien, Gemäldegalerie
Inv. No.
Gemäldegalerie, 993
Provenance
After the destruction of the altar during the siege of Haarlem by Spanish troops, the remaining wing was temporarily transferred to Utrecht in 1573; until 1625 in the possession of the Order of St. John in Haarlem; then until 1628 in the possession of the city of Haarlem; in 1636 given as a gift by the States General to King Charles I of England; 1638-1649 Coll. Hamilton; Coll. Leopold Wilhelm;
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