John the Baptist and the Lamb
1780
ink
paper
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
1780
ink
paper
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
John the Baptist and the Lamb is a 1780 ink by Ramón Bayeu, a Romanticism work, depicting Heracles, held at National Gallery of Art.
This quiet etching shows John the Baptist pointing upward while holding a lamb. The lamb looks calm, but John’s face is serious. The background is dark, making the figures stand out. It uses fine lines and shading to create depth. The technique is called etching, where acid eats into metal plates to hold ink. This method lets artists make detailed, soft shadows. It’s a nice example of drypoint too—another way to scratch lines directly into metal. Check out Francisco Goya’s etchings next—he used similar methods.
