Saint John the Baptist retiring to the Desert

The young saint is depicted twice: leaving the home of his parents and walking into the wilderness. The narrative is framed by depictions of roses seen from below. New Testament (Luke 1:80).

This painting is part of a predella of an altarpiece showing scenes from the life of Saint John the Baptist; three other panels in the collection come from the same predella: 'The Birth of Saint John the Baptist', 'The Baptism of Christ' and 'The Head of John the Baptist brought to Herod'. The panels have been associated with an altarpiece dated 1454 of the 'Virgin and Child with Saints' (New York, Metropolitan Museum of Art) which includes Saint John the Baptist.