The birth and first bathing of Saint John of Damascus

This panel comes from stained-glass window V25 of Milan Duomo, dedicated to the life of Saint John of Damascus. It was offered by the College of Apothecaries (the current Pharmacists) in honour of the patron saint of the guild and was made between 1479 and 1489 by Niccolò da Varallo. A leading figure in the history of Byzantine theology, as well as a distinguished doctor in the history of the universal Church, Saint John of Damascus lived in the 7th century. Born in Damascus, during the reign of Emperor Leo III the Isaurian, Saint John was unjustly slandered by means of a false letter sent to the Caliph of Damascus, which fell into the trap. Saint John was punished with the severing of his right hand, which was later reattached by the miraculous intervention of the Madonna. He is the patron saint of painters, the disabled (those missing limbs), and pharmacists. The panel represents the first bathing of the Saint after his birth. The scene is a typical domestic setting from the 14th century, depicted with exceptional precision and realism. The cleaning of the stained glass window rendered visible once more some narrative details, such as the replace with a pan of water over the fire. Work produced by the master Niccolò da Varallo.