Saint John the Baptist

Art Historical Context

Behold *Saint John the Baptist*, a delicate 17th-century etching French printmaker Balthazar Monnet. Rendered on a modest plate measuring just 2 13/16 x 3 15/16 inches, this intimate print captures the biblical precursor to Christ in a serene wilderness setting, surrounded by symbolic sheep and trees. Moncornet, active in Paris during the Baroque era, was renowned for precise reproductive engravings and etchings, often drawing from religious iconography to inspire devotion among collectors and the faithful. Etching, Moncornet's chosen medium, allowed for fluid, expressive lines etched into a ...