Saint John the Baptist with Lamb
n.d.
Medium
Watercolor over black chalk, on tan laid paper, tipped onto cream laid paper
Dimensions
33.6 × 25.5 cm (13 1/4 × 10 1/16 in.)
Classification
watercolor
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
114862
Art Historical Context
In the serene watercolor *Saint John the Baptist with Lamb*, Carlo Cignani captures the humility and prophetic grace of the biblical figure, often depicted with a lamb as a symbol of Christ, the "Lamb of God." Cignani (1628–1714), a leading master of the Bolognese Baroque school, was renowned for his elegant, refined religious subjects influenced by the Carracci family. This undated preparatory study, housed in the Art Institute of Chicago's Prints and Drawings department, exemplifies his skill in devotional imagery during an era when such works bridged studio practice and altarpiece commissio...
About the Artist
Carlo Cignani · 1628–1719
Painter who continued the tradition of Bolognese classicism into the 18th century. He became the first president of the Accademia Clementina in 1711. His style is similar to that of Guido Reni. Comment on works: Mythology; Religious.