Artwork
Head of Saint John the Baptist
Head of Saint John the Baptist is a tempera painting by the Byzantine icon painting artist Emmanuel Tzanes. It dates from 1663 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
As a religious genre work executed in tempera on panel, the image serves a devotional function, focusing the viewer's attention on the saint's martyrdom.
The artwork depicts the severed head of John the Baptist, a figure central to Christian religious iconography. Created by Emmanuel Tzanes in 1663, the painting presents the martyr's head as a standalone subject, a common motif in religious art symbolizing sacrifice and prophetic witness. As a religious genre work executed in tempera on panel, the image serves a devotional function, focusing the viewer's attention on the saint's martyrdom.
The representation aligns with traditional depictions found in Byzantine and post-Byzantine traditions, where the head is often shown as an object of veneration or a testament to faith.
Technique & Style
Executed in 1663 by Emmanuel Tzanes, this religious painting depicts the head of John the Baptist. The artist employed tempera as the primary medium, applying it to a wooden panel support. The work presents a compact composition, measuring 21.3 cm in height and 18.1 cm in width.
As a piece of devotional art, the image focuses strictly on the severed head of the saint, adhering to the iconographic traditions of the period through its specific material choices and intimate scale.
History & Provenance
Head of Saint John the Baptist was created by Emmanuel Tzanes in 1663, executed in tempera on panel. The work is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it remains located. The sources do not document a prior ownership chain, commissioning party, or intermediate provenance prior to its entry into the museum's holdings, nor do they detail the circumstances of its creation beyond the artist, medium, and inception date.
Overview
Emmanuel Tzanes, a Greek Renaissance iconographer, completed Head of Saint John the Baptist in 1663 using tempera. This painting exemplifies his religious work within the Cretan school tradition, depicting a solemn portrayal of the saint. The artwork is currently part of the collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, representing a significant piece from Tzanes's oeuvre.
Context
Emmanuel Tzanes was a prominent figure in the Greek artistic community in Venice during the 17th century. As a clergyman, he served as parish priest at San Giorgio dei Greci and was connected to the Flanginian School. His work, including this depiction of Saint John the Baptist, contributed to the ongoing development of the Greek artistic tradition, particularly within the context of religious painting.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Emmanuel Tzanes (Greek: Εμμανουήλ Τζάνες; 1610 – 28 March 1690), also known as Bounialis (Greek: Μπουνιαλής), Emmanuel Tzane-Bounialis, Emmanuel Zane, or Emmanuel Tzane, was a Greek Renaissance iconographer, author, clergyman, and educator.
Saint John the Baptist
Deisis
Christ the Redeemer
Iisus Hristos Învățător
St. John the Baptist (fragment)
Saviour Made Without Hands
Head of Christ
Iisus Hristos Pantocrator
Isus Pantocrator, redat 3/4, binecuvântând cu mâna dreaptă(prin unirea degetului mare cu cel inelar), în stânga ținând cartea sfântă cu textul consacrat, în slavonă(Veniți la mine toți cei oropsiți...).această reprezentare a lui Iisus binecuvântând, cu Evanghelia deschisă, corespunde în iconografia bizantină lui Iisus Învățător, sau Hristos Ușa, icoană amplasată în stânga ușilor împărătești. Conform erminiilor, Iisus Pantocrator este redat cu Evanghelia închisă.Expresia sobră, tristă, ochii mari, părul castaniu, lung, cu cărare pe mijloc, lăsat inegal pe umeri, mustățile și barba scurte. Poartă un veșmânt cu mâneci largi cu motive florale ample, în volute(foiță argintată), interstiții umplute cu portocaliu și galben. La mâneci, klav și la gât motive geometrice în formă de zigzag și val. Aureola (nimb cruciger) depășește spațiul chenarelor, trasată cu o linie de culoare roșie, dublată pe unele porțiuni cu o altă linie de culoare albă, în interior cu motive florale și puncte incizate în stratul de foiță metalică aurită. Inscripțiile consacrate: "eu sunt alfa și omega". Dublu chenar, motive geometrice: linii, puncte și zigzaguri între două linii fin incizate pe marginea foiței, la exterior bandă vișinie cu linii albe. Inscripțiile în chenare dreptunghiulare însoțite de motive fitomorfe incizate. Cromatica: alb, galben, roșu, auriu, brun, negru, foiță metalică; Bordura o înscrie în icoanele tip Krashnuska(înroșitele).
Deisis
Deisis