Who painted John de Baptist (recto); a skull (verso)?

John de Baptist (recto); a skull (verso) was painted by Hans Memling in 1470.

Where can I see John de Baptist (recto); a skull (verso)?

John de Baptist (recto); a skull (verso) is held by Bavarian State Painting Collections.

What movement is John de Baptist (recto); a skull (verso)?

John de Baptist (recto); a skull (verso) is associated with Northern Renaissance.

Artwork

John de Baptist (recto); a skull (verso)

Hans Memling , 1470

John de Baptist (recto); a skull (verso) is an oil painting by the Northern Renaissance artist Hans Memling. It dates from 1470 and is held in the collection of the Bavarian State Painting Collections.

About this work

Subject & Meaning

The recto panel presents John the Baptist, a standard subject of Early Netherlandish religious painting, rendered by Hans Memling in 1470.

The recto panel presents John the Baptist, a standard subject of Early Netherlandish religious painting, rendered by Hans Memling in 1470. According to the Wikidata record, the panel's main subject is John the Baptist in the wilderness, a devotional image type that emphasized the saint's ascetic role as the forerunner of Christ.

The verso bears a skull, a motif traditionally associated with meditation on mortality and the transience of earthly life. Paired with the image of the Baptist on the obverse, the skull introduces a memento mori element, inviting the viewer to reflect on death and spiritual preparation alongside the saint's message of repentance.

Technique & Style

The work is executed in oil on panel, measuring 31.8 cm by 24.4 cm, and belongs to the Early Netherlandish painting tradition. It depicts John the Baptist in the wilderness as part of the Bembo diptych, with the recto showing the saint and the verso presenting a skull. The painting was created in 1470 and is housed in the Alte Pinakothek, where it remains part of the Bavarian State Painting Collections.

History & Provenance

Hans Memling painted the panel depicting John de Baptist on the recto and a skull on the verso in 1470, working in oil on panel as part of the Early Netherlandish tradition. The work constitutes one of two panels of the Bembo diptych.

The panel entered the Bavarian State Painting Collections and is now held at the Alte Pinakothek, where it remains part of the museum's holdings of Hans Memling's religious works.

The painting titled John de Baptist (recto); a skull (verso) is held by the Bavarian State Painting Collections in Munich. It is located within the Alte Pinakothek museum. This work, created by Hans Memling around 1470, is identified as one of the two panels comprising the Bembo diptych.

The source material does not provide a specific inventory or accession number for the piece, nor does it list any records of past or future exhibitions.

Overview

This oil painting on panel, attributed to Hans Memling, features two distinct images: John the Baptist on the front and a skull on the reverse. Created around 1470, it is a representative work of the Northern Renaissance.