Artwork
St John the Baptist
St John the Baptist is an unspecified painting by the Early Baroque Italian artist Unknown. It dates from 1640 and is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum. A painting depicting a half-figure of a man in profile, dressed in an animal skin, holding a small bowl of water and a wooden staff.
About this work
Overview
A painting depicting a half-figure of a man in profile, dressed in an animal skin, holding a small bowl of water and a wooden staff.
Subject & Meaning
The figure is identified as John the Baptist, recognizable by his attributes, though the artist remains anonymous. The representation conveys a sense of quiet contemplation.
Technique & Style
The use of chiaroscuro creates a lifelike effect, with soft edges and deep folds of light and shadow on the figure's skin, suggesting a moment frozen in time.
Context
The artist's use of chiaroscuro is a technique also employed by other artists to achieve a similar sense of depth and volume in their works.
Artist & collection
Domestic Scene
Giacomo and Cardinal Marco, investing Andrea, Abbot of San Zeno, with his Benefice
The Nymph of Fontainebleau
Portrait of a Woman
Madonna and Child with Saints in the Enclosed Garden
Venus and Minerva
Family Group of Four on Sofa
Wall painting from Room H of the Villa of P. Fannius Synistor at Boscoreale
