The Birth and Naming of John the Baptist

Juan de Flandes's Birth and Naming of John the Baptist from 1496-99 is one of the forty-seven small panels he painted for Queen Isabella I's portable altarpiece — a remarkable devotional commission that contained the life of Christ and the Virgin in a series of exquisite small paintings. Isabella was among the most devout monarchs of her century, and her portable altarpiece — intended to accompany her on her constant travels through Castile — was both a devotional object of extraordinary richness and a demonstration of the Flemish painting tradition's finest capabilities. The Birth of the Baptist — John's parents Elizabeth and Zechariah celebrating the birth of the prophet who would announce Christ — was one of the altarpiece's preparatory scenes.

The oil on wood demonstrates the exquisite miniaturist precision of Juan de Flandes's Flemish technique, with meticulous detail, luminous color, and the narrative clarity suited to the small devotional panel format.