This elaborate altar frontal was made for the church of Valletta dedicated to John the Baptist on the island of Malta. The frontal bears three large medallions with scenes from the saint's life. At right, John is born, a scene combining, with typical Renaissance sensibility, homely detail with spiritual significance: John's mother, St. Elizabeth, is attended by angels and by women who offer her sweetmeats. At center, Christ is baptized by John in the Jordan River. At left, John reproves King Herod, whose daughter, Salome, will later take revenge by demanding the saint's head, one of the New Testaments most famous episodes.
These primary scenes, framed by gemstones set in the borders, are surrounded by five smaller medallions. Four have iconic themes, but the lower right depicts a Maltese bishop blessing the donors of this altar frontal, emphasizing the fact that it was made for a particular chapel. It is not certain that the altar frontal was actually made in Malta; it may have been commissioned in Italy or even Spain in order to obtain the skills of a professional embroidery workshop equal to the elaborate task.
The frontal is embroidered in gold and silk threads on a red silk velvet ground. Its scrolls and floral motifs recall the larger vocabulary of Renaissance architectural ornament, but smaller details of the background design are symbolically appropriate to the altar and the celebration of the mass. For example, the bunches of grapes near the lower border would suggest to a Renaissance viewer not only the sensuous beauty of God's bounty but also the wine of the Eucharist and Christ's sacrifice on the cross.
