Saint John the Baptist

Dieric Bouts painted this grisaille Saint John the Baptist around 1475-85, depicting the forerunner of Christ in monochrome tones that simulate stone sculpture — a technique known as grisaille. Bouts was one of the most important Netherlandish painters of the fifteenth century, serving as official painter of the city of Leuven. Grisaille panels typically appeared on the exterior wings of altarpieces, visible when the triptych was closed, and their sculptural quality created a visual dialogue between painting and the carved altarpieces they often accompanied.

The oil on wood grisaille demonstrates Bouts's remarkable technical control, using subtle gradations of gray and brown to simulate the appearance of carved stone, with the figure modeled through careful tonal transitions rather than color.