A mid-fifteenth-century Catalan panel painting depicting the martyrdom of Saint John the Baptist, rendered in the International Gothic style.

This panel painting depicts the final moments of the narrative of Saint John the Baptist. The composition is divided between the architectural structure of the prison, from which the saint's head is presented, and the surrounding figures who observe the event. The artist employs the stylistic conventions of the mid-fifteenth century, characterised by a flattened perspective and a focus on the decorative qualities of the figures' attire. The executioner, positioned centrally, holds the severed head above a platter, while a group of onlookers, including women in elaborate headdresses, witness the scene with restrained expressions.

The work reflects the influence of the International Gothic style, which remained popular in the Iberian Peninsula during this period. The attention to detail in the armour, the textures of the garments, and the specific patterns of the textiles provides insight into the visual culture of the time. The colour palette is dominated by earthy tones, punctuated by the red of the prison walls and the garments of the figures. The scene is staged against a simple wall, which serves to isolate the figures and direct the viewer's attention to the central action. This piece is a representative example of the religious art produced for devotional contexts in Catalonia during the late medieval period, where narrative clarity and symbolic representation were prioritised over naturalistic depth or anatomical precision. The work remains a compelling study of the period's approach to hagiographic subjects, balancing the grim nature of the event with the formal requirements of contemporary religious painting.