Spanish School, 18th century
Saint John the Baptist with Infant Jesus and angels
Oil on canvas, 83 X 115.5 cm
Framed, 92.5 x 124.5 cm
The encounter between Infant Jesus and Saint John the Baptist, the first to recognize Him as the Messiah, is often depicted pictorially through the representation of the two infant figures as a premonitory specification and manifestation of the divine plan, established from the childhood of Christ. In the present painting, the Son sits caressing the Baptist's lamb tenderly, an allegory of the future sacrifice and Jesus's role as shepherd of men. The coral-colored tunic He wears also suggests a passionate explanation and is an appreciated Spanish figurativism. The small winged putti heads, combining ancient cherubic iconography and Renaissance syntheses of sweet little angels, observe the scene from above, witnessing the divine event.
The debt to Bartolomé Esteban Murillo (Seville, 1617 – Cadiz, 1682), if not in formalism, is evident in the composition and the affective arrangement of the figures, closely recalling some similar subject paintings by the master. While the closest parallels occur in canvases depicting both the Child and Saint John the Baptist, such as Infant Jesus Offering Drink to Saint John the Baptist (Madrid, Museo del Prado) and Holy Family with Saint John the Baptist (Museum of Fine Arts, Budapest), paintings in which the Saint is represented alone also share the same Spanish matrix with the present work. The Saint Johns of Madrid (Museo del Prado) and London (National Gallery) share with the present work the expressive yearning focused on the compassionate and saving attitudes of the depicted figures, moved in a composed and posed action within a vigorous and gentle natural landscape, protecting the scene taking place within it.
An absolute representative of the Spanish Baroque along with Diego Velázquez, Francisco de Zurbarán, and José de Ribera, Murillo distinguished himself for his sparkling and vivid vein in genre painting. His residence in Seville, an important commercial and road hub, contributed to favoring the artist's approach to the North European pictorial vocabulary, including at the time lively genre and market representations. The cosmopolitan climate sensed in the mercantile city subsequently encouraged Murillo to transform this narrative goliardy into a bright colorism, especially in religious-themed paintings, highly appreciated by contemporary bourgeois and aristocratic taste.
The object is in good condition.
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