St John the Baptist

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St John the Baptist
3D Model

  • Type of object:Polychrome wooden sculpture
  • Measurements (H/W/D):56 cm / 27 cm / 18 cm
  • Materials & Techniques:

    Wood, gold leaf, paint / hand-carved, gilded, painted

  • Inscriptions & Markings:

    Bottom of the base, black paint, NG P 844

  • Date or Period:

    3rd quarter of the 18th century / Baroque period

  • Maker:
  • Subject:

    St John the Baptist / A male figure holding a shell

  • Title:St John the Baptist
  • Distinguishing Features:

    There are small cracks in the paint layer. Possible restoration works are visible on the object (on the figure’s right ribs, right hand, right elbow, bottom of the shell, right upper arm and on some parts of the drapery. There is a crack next to the figure’s right foot where the drapery touches the rocks. There is a hole on the top of his head. The paint is chipped on the reverse side, behind the figure’s left ankle. There is a crack on the back of the drapery, behind the figure’s left elbow.

The wooden sculpture of St. John the Baptist was hand-carved by an unknown Baroque sculptor in the 3rd quarter of the 18th century. The sculpture depicts a male figure in a contrapposto stance, leaning on his right leg with his left leg slightly bent at the knee and turned to the left. His head is turned downwards and to his right. His hands are bent at the elbow and pointed forward. He is holding a gold shell in his right hand. His voluminous drapery is covering his left shoulder, falling behind his back to his right hip and covering his right leg. There is a gold strap attached to his drapery from the left shoulder to the drapery placed below his belly button. He has curly, shoulder-length hair and a beard. He is barefoot and standing on white rocks.

A handheld structured-light 3D scanner Artec Space Spider II. The instrument quotes the following specifications: 3D point accuracy: up to 0.05 mm. 3D accuracy over distance: up to 0.05 mm + 0.3 mm/m. Working distance: 0.19–0.3 m. Linear field of view, H×W @ closest range: 128 × 104 mm. Linear field of view, H×W @ furthest range: 171 × 152 mm. Ability to use Photo Texture. Texture resolution: 5 MP. Colors: 24 bpp. 3D structured-light source: 450 nm LED.

  • Object ID No.:

    NG P 844

  • Related Written Material:

  • Place of Origin/Discovery:

    Unknown provenance. Currently located at the National Gallery of Slovenia.

  • Cross Reference to Related Objects:

  • Date Documented:

    2025-06-10