A Seated John the Baptist Preaching
17th century
Medium
Pen and brown ink, over black chalk
Dimensions
sheet: 6 9/16 x 5 1/8 in. (16.7 x 13 cm)
Classification
Drawings
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Harry G. Friedman
Accession Number
57.658.280
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the intimate world of 17th-century Italian, *A Seated John the Preaching* captures a moment of fervent spirituality. Created by an anonymous Italian artist this dynamic Baroque era, the work depicts the saint seated, gesturing emphatically as he preaches repentance and heralds the coming of Christ. John the Baptist, a pivotal figure in Christian iconography as the prophet who baptized Jesus, is often portrayed in dramatic poses to evoke his wilderness asceticism and divine mission—here rendered with a sense of immediacy on a modest sheet measuring just 6 9/16 x 5 1/8 inches. The medium of ...