Saint John the Baptist preaching in the wilderness
Medium
Etching
Dimensions
Sheet: 9 1/8 in. × 11 in. (23.2 × 27.9 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Fern and Lewis Lowenfels, 2022
Accession Number
2022.459.10
Art Historical Context
In the wilderness, Saint John the Baptist stands as a fiery prophet, clad in animal skins and gesturing emphatically to an enthralled crowd in this evocative etching by Venetian masters Giovanni Battista Tiepolo and his son Giovanni Domenico Tiepolo. Created between 1750 and 1780, the work captures a pivotal biblical moment from the New Testament, where John heralds the coming of Christ and calls for repentance. Measuring 9 1/8 × 11 inches, this intimate print exemplifies the Tiepolo family's mastery of Rococo elegance—characterized by fluid lines, dramatic lighting, and a sense of theatrical ...
About the Artist
Giovanni Battista Tiepolo|Giovanni Domenico Tiepolo · 1696–1770
Giovanni Battista Tiepolo (1696-1770) stands as the greatest decorative painter of eighteenth-century Europe, a Venetian master whose luminous frescoes and dynamic compositions defined the Rococo era's aesthetic zenith. Born in Venice on March 5, 1696, to a modest shipping merchant family, Tiepolo's extraordinary talent transcended his humble origins to establish him as the most sought-after artis...