St John Altarpiece Reed believes the similarities so pronounced that it is highly probable that the two were intended to hang together at the Miraflores monastery. St John Altarpiece The St John Altarpiece (German - "Johannesaltar", "Johannestafel" or "Johannesretabel") is a c. 1455 oil-on-oak wood panel altarpiece by the Early Netherlandish painter Rogier van der Weyden, now in the Gemäldegalerie, Berlin. The triptych is linked to the artist's earlier "Miraflores Altarpiece" in its symbolic motifs, format and intention. The panels show – from left to right – the birth of Saint John, the baptism of Christ by John in Jordan, and the beheading
Altarpiece Altarpiece An altarpiece is an artwork such as a painting, sculpture or relief representing a religious subject made for placing behind the altar of a Christian church. Though most commonly used for a single work of art such as a painting or sculpture, or a set of them, the word can also be used of the whole ensemble behind an altar, otherwise known as a reredos, including what is often an elaborate frame for the central image or images. Altarpieces were one of the most important products of Christian art especially from the late Middle Ages to the era of