Attributed to Niccolò da Varallo (1420 - 1489)
A Baptism, after 1480
Pot metal glass and white glass with silver stain and flashed purples, 112 x 61 cm (44 1/8 x 24 in.)
This vertical, rectangular Italian stained glass is titled, “A Baptism” and is made of pot metal glass and white glass with silver stain and flashed purples. A young, light-skinned boy is the focus of this scene. He stands on our left near an ornate column wearing a red tunic, blue tights and a white scarf draped around his neck. His blonde hair is fashioned in a neat page-boy style. He holds a gold basin in his left hand and a gold pitcher in his right. He is stepping forward on his right foot, as if entering a room. To his left is a squared column that is decorated with scroll and leaf motifs and transitions into a wall with a window and rounded column. Standing in an archway is another figure of a young boy wearing a white tunic and a long tan-colored skirt, who appears to be made of stone. A half wall and green leafed bush are in the background. This stained glass is part of a two paneled baptism scene.
Gothic Room
Commentary
Isabella Stewart Gardner kept meticulous records of many of her acquisitions. In keeping with this legacy, object information is continually being reviewed, updated, and enriched in order to give greater access to the collection.