Michele Desubleo

Saint John the Baptist

Saint John the Baptist by Michele Desubleo

Artwork Detail

Caravaggistic in style, St John the Baptist is shown in contemplative pose, his figure painted very close to the picture plane. Caravaggio painted several versions of the saint, typically including a swathe of draped red cloth which sets off the creamy-golden tones of the saint's flesh. John the Baptist's garment of animal skins indicates his life as a hermit. His traditional attributes are the reed cross which symbolises his faith, and sometimes a honeycomb, which along with locusts, was his food in the desert.

Title
Saint John the Baptist
Artist/creator
Michele Desubleo
Production date
circa 1650
Medium
oil on canvas
Dimensions
1213 x 956 x 80 mm
Credit line
Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki, gift of Sir George Grey, 1887
Accession no
1887/1/4
Copyright
No known copyright restrictions
Department
International Art
Display status
On display

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