Lot 1209 Dα

Spain, circa 1520/1530

A Spanish carved walnut figure of John the Baptist, circa 1520/1530

Carved three-quarters in the round, the reverse flattened and hollowed out. Remains of older polychromy, presumably partially original, the head overpainted. A large figure of the saint dressed in a hair shirt, leaning upon a tree stump. He points down towards a model of a lamb upon a book - the sacrificial lamb of the apocalypse representing Christ’s sacrifice as saviour of the world.
Right hand and left index finger lost. Wear with minor losses. Height 124 cm.