1490
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Dominant colour
Baptism is a 1490 ink by German 15th Century, a Renaissance work, depicting John the Baptist, held at National Gallery of Art.
A priest in a white robe pours water over a man’s head in a river. The print is hand-colored, so each copy looks a little different. This German woodcut from around 1490 shows baptism as a quiet, everyday moment. Before photo-mechanical printing, artists carved images on wood blocks. Printing houses sold these sheets everywhere—cheap enough for many homes. It’s one of the first religious prints meant for ordinary people, not just churches. Look for the same sharp outlines and bold shadows in Albrecht Dürer’s woodcuts.
This 15th-century German artist carved vivid religious scenes into metal and wood, then hand-painted them in bright, symbolic colors.
See the richer artist pageYour cart is empty
Explore artworks →
![Ecce Homo [verso]](https://pub-3a17a9933ad74fb28aa30fa758592f23.r2.dev/artworks/355663726e7bd572/thumb.webp)
![Studies for Six Figures (sheet from a model book) [recto]](https://pub-3a17a9933ad74fb28aa30fa758592f23.r2.dev/artworks/4837429e0755bc3f/thumb.webp)
