Saint John the Baptist seated in the Wilderness

Image credit: The National Gallery, London

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A young man reclines in a rocky landscape, filling a bowl with water spouting from a rock. With his naked torso he looks more like a classical god than a biblical figure, but this is Saint John the Baptist, a forerunner of Christ (whom he baptised). John lived as a hermit in the desert, preaching to and baptising the people of Judea and Jerusalem.

This is clearly not first-century Palestine, however, and this is not a wild desert prophet. The saint’s nakedness, his recumbent pose and the cup he holds up all recall classical depictions of Bacchus, god of wine.

Although no longer attributed to Annibale Carracci, the picture was probably painted by someone quite close to him, perhaps a direct pupil rather than just a follower.

The National Gallery, London

London

Title

Saint John the Baptist seated in the Wilderness

Date

early 17th century

Medium

Oil on canvas

Measurements

H 133.7 x W 96.6 cm

Accession number

NG25

Acquisition method

Bought, 1824

Work type

Painting

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The National Gallery, London

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