Scenes from the Life of Saint John the Baptist
Bartolomeo di Giovanni·1490/95
Historical Context
Bartolomeo di Giovanni's Scenes from the Life of Saint John the Baptist, painted around 1490-95, presents a narrative cycle of the Baptist's life in the continuous format typical of predella panels. Bartolomeo di Giovanni was a gifted narrative painter who worked in the circle of Domenico Ghirlandaio and Botticelli, contributing predella panels to their major altarpieces. The Baptist was Florence's patron saint, making his life cycle among the most frequently painted subjects in the city.
Technical Analysis
The tempera-on-poplar panel demonstrates Bartolomeo's fluent narrative style with clearly staged episodes and vivid, expressive figures. The bright palette and precise architectural settings reflect the late Quattrocento Florentine tradition of combining decorative appeal with narrative clarity.
Provenance
Possibly part of a suite of decorations belonging to Francesco di Bonacorso Pitti, Florence, from 1494 [based on arms in a related panel in National Gallery of Ireland, Dublin; see Lloyd 1993, p. 20]. Luigi Grassi, Florence, by 1924 [bill of sale dated March 18, 1924 in curatorial file]; sold to Martin A. Ryerson (died 1932), Chicago, 1924; on loan to the Art Institute, 1924; by descent to his wife Carrie Hutchinson Ryerson (1859–1937), Chicago, 1932 [Last Will and Testament of Martin A. Ryerson, Died August 11, 1932, copy in Institutional Archives, Art Institute of Chicago]; bequeathed to the Art Institute of Chicago, 1937.
