Saint John the Baptist in the Wilderness
c. 1605
Medium
Oil on copper
Dimensions
21 × 16.3 cm (8 1/4 × 6 3/8 in.); Framed: 33 × 26.7 × 2.5 cm (13 × 10 1/2 × 1 in.)
Classification
painting
Department
Painting and Sculpture of Europe
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
213758
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
Adam Elsheimer’s small paintings on copper show his remarkable ability to create imaginary, highly composed landscapes. On his arrival in Rome in 1600, Elsheimer was inspired by the city’s antique monuments and its extraordinary artistic environment. In this work, the wooded landscape teeming with wildlife is indebted to painting from Northern Europe, while the youthful saint echoes ancient Greek and Roman sculpture in a pose that reveals both his active mind and his physical strength. Though El...
About the Artist
Adam Elsheimer · 1578–1610
Elsheimer's meticulously detailed small paintings on copper would establish him as the most influential artist to follow Albrecht Dürer. He most likely arrived in Italy ca. 1598, where he quite possibly was associated with Hans Rottenhammer, and then moved to Rome in 1600, where he remained until his death. Comment on works: Landscapes; Religious.