Artwork
The Baptism of Christ
The Baptism of Christ is a tempera painting by the Byzantine icon painting artist Giovanni Baronzio. It dates from 1335 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Giovanni Baronzio painted the tempera panel around 1335 for an altarpiece to Saint John the Baptist, likely for a church in Emilia Romagna or the Marche.
Christ stands hip-deep in the Jordan, hands clasped, as John the Baptist leans from the rocky bank to lay a hand on his head. Two angels hold Christ's garments at the right, and God the Father appears in the opened heavens above. Giovanni Baronzio painted the tempera panel around 1335 for an altarpiece to Saint John the Baptist, likely for a church in Emilia Romagna or the Marche. It entered the National Gallery of Art in 1939 with the Kress Collection.
Subject & Meaning
This panel depicts the Baptism of Christ by John the Baptist, a pivotal event in Christian scripture. The painting was originally part of a narrative cycle of the life of John the Baptist, as documented in the historical record of the Sterbini collection, which included multiple scenes from the Baptist's life. Its likely commission for the high altarpiece of a church dedicated to Saint John the Baptist underscores the subject's importance within the Baptist's hagiography, framing the baptism as a central moment that bridges the Old and New Testaments.
The iconography of Christ and John the Baptist in this scene emphasizes their intertwined roles in the theology of salvation.
Technique & Style
Executed in tempera on a wooden panel, a medium typical of Italian Gothic altarpieces, the painting measures 49 × 41 cm. It once formed part of a larger altarpiece dedicated to Saint John the Baptist, as indicated by related panels and its narrative subject. The precise handling of tempera supports detailed figural composition, though no specific information about the painting's condition is recorded in the available sources.
History & Provenance
The work was created around 1335 by Giovanni Baronzio, a painter active in the region of Emilia-Romagna and the Marche. It was likely originally commissioned as part of the high altarpiece of a church dedicated to Saint John the Baptist in that area. Its modern provenance begins with Monsignor Gabriele Laureani (d. 1849) in Rome, and by 1874 it was in the collection of Giulio Sterbini in Rome, as documented by David Farabulini.
By 1924 it had entered the Pasini collection, also in Rome. Subsequently, the panel was acquired by Count Alessandro Contini Bonacossi in Florence. In June 1933 it was purchased from him by the Samuel H. Kress Foundation, New York, and was gifted in 1939 to the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., where it remains.
Overview
Giovanni Baronzio's "The Baptism of Christ," painted around 1335 in tempera on panel, originally formed part of a larger altarpiece dedicated to Saint John the Baptist. This devotional work likely adorned a church in Emilia Romagna or the Marche. The scene depicts Christ's immersion in the Jordan River, attended by John the Baptist and two angels, with God the Father appearing from above.
Context
Active in Rimini and surrounding areas during the second quarter of the fourteenth century, Giovanni Baronzio worked in a region significantly shaped by the innovations of Giotto. Giotto's presence in Rimini earlier in the century fostered a local artistic current characterized by naturalistic and descriptive qualities. Baronzio's painting reflects these evolving Gothic sensibilities, distinguishing it as part of an innovative phase in Italian painting.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Giovanni Baronzio, also known as Giovanni da Rimini, (died before 1362), was an Italian painter who was active in Romagna and the Marche region during the second quarter of the 14th century.
- The Baptism of Christ
The Baptism of Christ
The Baptism of Christ
The Baptism of Christ
The Baptism of Christ
The Baptism of Christ
The Baptism of Christ
The Baptism of Christ![Baptism of Christ. T wing of the altar retable [?] from Chełmiec](https://artifactworldgallery.com/img/baptism-of-christ-t-wing-of-the-altar-retable-from-che-miec--b8d17b6ceeee682b-w320.webp)
Baptism of Christ. T wing of the altar retable [?] from Chełmiec
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