Scenes from the Life of Saint John the Baptist

Niccolò di Pietro Gerini painted these scenes from the life of Saint John the Baptist in 1387, likely as part of the same large altarpiece complex to which several other Gerini panels in the National Gallery belong. The Baptist held extraordinary significance in Florence, where he served as the city's patron saint, and his feast day was the most important civic and religious celebration of the year. Narrative cycles of his life decorated Florentine baptisteries, churches, and guild halls throughout the Trecento.

Egg tempera on panel with gold ground, featuring multiple narrative episodes arranged in the clear, sequential format typical of predella panels. Gerini's draughtsmanship is precise and legible, with simplified architectural settings that frame each scene for easy reading at a distance.