|
Movie
Posters
|
|
|
|
St. John the
Baptist is an oil painting on walnut wood by the artist Leonardo
da Vinci. Completed from 1513 to 1516, when the High Renaissance
was metamorphosing into Mannerism, it is believed to be his last
painting. The original size of the work was 69x57 cm. It is now
housed at the Musée du Louvre in Paris, France.
The piece depicts St. John the Baptist in isolation. St. John is
dressed in pelts, has long curly hair, and is smiling in an
enigmatic manner which is reminiscent of Leonardo's famous Mona
Lisa. He holds a reed cross in his left hand while his right hand
points up toward heaven. It is believed that the cross and wool
skins were added at a later date by another painter.
Some have also argued that St. John's appearance is androgynous or
hermaphroditic, a theory that is supported by a sketch by Leonardo
known as "The Angel in the Flesh".
The pointing gesture of St. John toward the heavens suggests the
importance of salvation through baptism that John the Baptist
represents. The work is often quoted by later painters, especially
those in the late Renaissance and Mannerist schools. The inclusion
of a gesture similar to John's would increase the importance of a
work with a religious conceit.
 |
|
|
|
|
| |
