The Baptism of Christ
ca. 1713–14
Medium
Oil on canvas
Dimensions
26 x 40 in. (66 x 101.6 cm)
Classification
Paintings
Department
European Paintings
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Purchase, Rogers and Gwynne Andrews Funds, and Gift of Jane L. Melville, by exchange, 1981
Accession Number
1981.186
Tags
About this artwork
This oil painting depicts the baptism of Christ by John the Baptist in the Jordan River, created by Venetian Baroque master Sebastiano Ricci around 1713-1714. The composition shows Christ standing in the shallow waters while John the Baptist administers the sacrament, surrounded by attendant figures and angels. Above, the heavens open to reveal divine light, symbolizing the Holy Spirit descending upon Christ. Ricci employs a dynamic Baroque composition with swirling draperies, dramatic gestures,...
Art Historical Context
In the shimmering waters of the Jordan River Sebastiano Ricci captures one Christianity's most sacred moments: the Baptism of Christ by Saint John the Baptist. Created around 1713–14, this oil on canvas (26 x 40 in.) unfolds with dramatic flair typical of Venetian Baroque art. Christ stands humbly in the shallows as John pours water over him, surrounded by attendants, ethereal angels, and a burst of divine light from the heavens—izing the Holy Spirit's and God's voice affirming his son. Ricci's swirling draperies, gestures, and luminous palette the theatrical energy of masters like Veronese an...
About the Artist
Sebastiano Ricci · 1659–1734
Sebastiano Ricci (1659–1734) was born in Belluno, in the Venetian Republic, and received his early training in Venice, where he was apprenticed at age twelve to the Milanese painter Federico Cervelli. Some accounts identify Sebastiano Mazzoni as his first master. A youthful scandal involving an unintended pregnancy and a charge of attempted poisoning led to imprisonment in 1678, from which he was ...