Artwork
Panel from Saint John Retable
Panel from Saint John Retable is a tempera painting by the Northern Renaissance artist Domingo Ram. It dates from 1500 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. This painting, a panel from a larger altarpiece, presents two distinct narrative moments arranged vertically.
About this work
Technique & Style
Stylistically, the composition features a narrative scene depicting John the Baptist alongside a woman, a man, an angel, and Christ within a banquet setting.
Created around 1500 by Domingo Ram, this religious panel utilizes tempera paint applied to a wood support. The work measures approximately 151.1 cm in height and 72.7 cm in width. Stylistically, the composition features a narrative scene depicting John the Baptist alongside a woman, a man, an angel, and Christ within a banquet setting.
The classification as a painting on panel aligns with traditional techniques for retable components of this period. While specific details regarding surface condition or handling history are not provided in the available records, the material construction confirms the use of standard early sixteenth-century methods for devotional imagery.
History & Provenance
Domingo Ram created a tempera panel depicting scenes from the Gospel of John as part of the Saint John Retable, dated to the year 1500. The work measures 151.1 cm in height and 72.7 cm in width and is classified as a religious painting. Following its execution, the panel entered the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it has been displayed since its acquisition.
Its provenance is therefore linked to the museum’s holdings, and it remains on view in the museum’s European paintings galleries.
The panel from the Saint John Retable is housed in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Its precise accession or inventory number is not disclosed in the documented sources. The work, attributed to Domingo Ram and dated to 1500, is recorded as a tempera painting on panel depicting scenes from the life of John the Baptist.
No exhibition history is documented in the provided references, indicating that the piece has not been listed in publicly available exhibition catalogs or records up to the present.
Overview
This painting, a panel from a larger altarpiece, presents two distinct narrative moments arranged vertically. Executed in tempera, the work features vibrant colors and intricate details that define its figures against a somber background. The upper register depicts a scene of spiritual significance, while the lower portion portrays a lavish gathering.
The composition's vertical stacking and use of gold leaf are characteristic of devotional art from its period, designed to convey sacred narratives with clarity and visual richness.
Subject & Meaning
The upper scene appears to illustrate a moment of divine intervention or revelation. A central nude figure, hands clasped in reverence, stands beneath a radiant, haloed presence, flanked by robed men and celestial beings. This imagery strongly suggests a baptism or a spiritual awakening.
Below, a celebratory feast unfolds, populated by elaborately dressed figures. A crowned woman holds a golden platter, while another man kneels before a woman in white, offering an object. This lower narrative likely depicts events related to the life of Saint John, possibly the Feast of Herod and the presentation of John the Baptist's head.
Artist & collection
Panel with the Birth of St. John the Baptist from Retable
Panel with The Crucifixion from Retable
Predella panel with Saint Martial, Saint Sebastian, and Saint Mary Magdalen from Retable- Panel of Saint John the Baptist with Scenes from His Life
Panel with the Angel Appearing to Zacharias (from a Retable depicting Saint John the Baptist and scenes from his life)
Predella pane with Saint Bridget, Saint Christopher, and Saint Kilian from Retable
The Visitation Panel from Saint John Retable
Panel with Saint John the Baptist Enthroned from Retable
![Baptism of Christ. T wing of the altar retable [?] from Chełmiec](https://artifactworldgallery.com/img/baptism-of-christ-t-wing-of-the-altar-retable-from-che-miec--b8d17b6ceeee682b-w320.webp)
Baptism of Christ. T wing of the altar retable [?] from Chełmiec
Diptych with the Passion of Christ (right wing): Crowning with Thorns and Agony on the Garden
The Baptism of Christ
Noli me tangere
Le baptême du Christ
De doop van Christus in de Jordaan, rechter paneel van een drieluik (open)
Tríptico de la Flagelación![Diptych from the Winterfeld family foundation right wing: Maria lactans and Christ as Vir Dolorum [Man of Sorrows] (upper area), Ecce Homo (lower area); reverse: Mocking (upper area), flagella](https://artifactworldgallery.com/img/diptych-from-the-winterfeld-family-foundation-right-wing-mar--eacf0a5482d27bb1-w320.webp)
Diptych from the Winterfeld family foundation right wing: Maria lactans and Christ as Vir Dolorum [Man of Sorrows] (upper area), Ecce Homo (lower area); reverse: Mocking (upper area), flagella
Diptych with the Passion of Christ