Description:

Europe, ca. 18th to 19th century CE. A touching oil painting depicting the infants Christ and Saint John the Baptist embracing and playing with the Lamb of God in the woods, a popular subject in Italy throughout the Renaissance and later embraced by northern masters including Peter Paul Rubens and Anthony Van Dyck that references apocryphal texts about Christ's early years. The infant Saint John the Baptist warmly greets his cousin Jesus upon returning from exile in Egypt who holds a staff with a cross atop adorned with a banner inscribed with text that is difficult to decipher but is likely a version of "Ecce Agnus Dei" (Behold the Lamb of God). Note that John genuflects to Christ who is actually raising him from his knees, foreshadowing the Baptism of Christ as it relates to Matthew (3:13-17) when John actually refuses baptism and says, "I have need to be baptized of thee" and Christ negotiates through his reluctance. A finely executed painting with strong composition featuring the figures close to the picture plane engaged in a deeply symbolic religious scene. Size: 25" L x 19" W (63.5 cm x 48.3 cm)

Provenance: Ex - Private Santa Fe, NM collection

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#115911

  • Condition: Surface wear with some paint loss and a few tears to the periphery as shown.

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August 3, 2016 8:00 AM MDT
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

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