Artwork
Saint John the Baptist
Saint John the Baptist is an oil painting by the Early Baroque Italian artist Hendrick Bloemaert. It dates from 1624 and is held in the collection of the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum.
About this work
Overview
Hendrick Bloemaert’s oil painting, dated 1624, portrays Saint John the Baptist seated on a rock. The work is part of the collection at the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum in Glasgow.
Subject & Meaning
The figure is a youthful, long‑haired man in a simple brown robe, holding a white lamb whose head rests in his right hand. The lamb, a traditional symbol of innocence, reinforces John’s role as the forerunner of Christ.
Technique & Style
Bloemaert employs a calm, naturalistic setting with a gentle landscape of trees, grass and a blue sky dotted with clouds. The composition uses subtle contrasts of light and shadow, hinting at chiaroscuro techniques to model the figure and animal.
History & Provenance
Created in the early seventeenth century, the painting entered the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum’s holdings, where it remains on public display.
Artist & collection
