The Baptism of Christ
1615
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
1615
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
This sketch shows a chaotic crowd of robed figures in the foreground, all tangled together. Some are reaching upward, while others seem to be kneeling or stumbling. The background is a faint, blurry landscape with a few faint outlines of people or buildings. The whole scene is drawn in earthy browns and reds, with no clear colors—just quick, sketchy lines. The figures’ faces and hands are barely defined, giving the scene a sense of movement and urgency. The artist seems to have focused on the energy of the moment rather than details. Look up chiaroscuro next to see how this technique plays with light and shadow.
![Figures Studies [recto]](https://pub-3a17a9933ad74fb28aa30fa758592f23.r2.dev/artworks/1ed79b3eaa10b09e/thumb.webp)
![Studies for Judith and Holofernes, David and Goliath, The Finding of Moses, and Others [recto]](https://pub-3a17a9933ad74fb28aa30fa758592f23.r2.dev/artworks/e7509a7c8dd48fbb/thumb.webp)
![The Adoration of the Magi [recto]](https://pub-3a17a9933ad74fb28aa30fa758592f23.r2.dev/artworks/2cfd5d76b55e821e/thumb.webp)
![Joseph and His Brother in Egypt [verso]](https://pub-3a17a9933ad74fb28aa30fa758592f23.r2.dev/artworks/86cfb4fbb2662a76/thumb.webp)