Carved in limestone around 1220, this figure of St John the Baptist occupies a niche on the right-hand portal of the west façade at Reims Cathedral, a cornerstone of early French Gothic sculpture. The saint is depicted as a solemn, introspective figure draped in a long mantle that falls in gently rippling folds, its surface now softened by centuries of weathering. In his hands he holds a roundel bearing the Agnus Dei, the Lamb of God upon the cross, emblematic of his role as herald of Christ.

The sculpture displays the distinctive refinement of the Reims workshop, whose artists transformed the rigid hieratic poses of earlier Gothic portals into figures of grace and quiet humanity. The finely modelled features, parted lips, and contemplative gaze introduce a new psychological depth to the saint’s character, while the natural fall of drapery and sensitive handling of anatomy mark an early step toward the humanism that would later define Gothic art. Traces of polychromy, long faded, suggest that the figure once glowed with colour, intensifying its spiritual immediacy for medieval viewers.

Positioned within the great sculptural programme of the cathedral façade, John the Baptist serves both as prophet and witness—the precursor whose message bridges Old and New Testament revelation. The work’s serene dignity and masterful execution exemplify the technical confidence and theological subtlety of the early thirteenth-century sculptors of Reims, securing its place among the most eloquent achievements of Gothic stone carving.