Saint John the Baptist

Juan Martínez Montañés carved Saint John the Baptist ca. 1620–30. The sculpture stands over five feet tall. Polychromed wood with gilding. Purchased in 1963 through the Joseph Pulitzer Bequest.

The sculpture is made from wood, painted in a technique known as encarnación. Gilding enhances the robe and details. Its dimensions are 154 x 75.2 x 70.2 cm.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art acquired the piece in 1963. It is part of their European Sculpture and Decorative Arts collection.

Montañés was called ‘el Dios de la Madera’ for his mastery of wood. He spent most of his career in Seville, shaping the Sevillian school of sculpture.

Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/202718

https://oolf.net/open-art/montanes-saint-john-the-baptist/