Attributed to Antonio Veneziano and datable to the first quarter of the fifteenth century, this painting is executed in the rare technique of tempera on canvas—a medium still uncommon in Italy at the time. Its unusual support and format suggest that it was originally intended for processional or liturgical use, perhaps as part of a gonfalone or ceremonial banner. The subject, the Martyrdom of Saint John the Baptist—the city’s patron saint—suggests that the work may have belonged to the canons of the Baptistery, which is dedicated to him, and that it was likely displayed during major festivities, particularly on June 24.
The martyrdom of Saint John the Baptist is rendered with striking dramatic intensity. As recounted in the Gospels of Matthew (14:3–12) and Mark (6:17–29), the saint was beheaded at the behest of King Herod, whom he had denounced for entering into an unlawful marriage. The saint’s body—clad in coarse camel skins—is shown on all fours upon a grassy patch; his neck is severed, and a copious stream of blood gushes forth. His head, fallen to the ground, is seen in profile, encircled by a golden halo. Standing behind him is the figure of the executioner: upright against a dark background, he is depicted in the act of calmly sheathing his sword.
The choice of subject, and the decision to represent it with such graphic intensity—emphasizing the severed head and the flowing blood—align with the cult of the Christian martyr saints who, as described in the Book of Revelation (7:14), are “[…] the ones who have survived the time of great distress; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb”. The emphasis on the saint’s body also evokes the veneration of relics. In this regard, the treasures of the Baptistery and the Cathedral preserve numerous and precious relics of the patron saint. Some of these, housed in splendid reliquaries, are displayed—precisely for this reason—in the same room as the painting.