The Baptism
1896
oil
From the collection of Los Angeles County Museum of Art
1896
oil
From the collection of Los Angeles County Museum of Art
Dominant colour
The Baptism is a 1896 oil by Julius LeBlanc Stewart, a Post-Impressionism work, held at Los Angeles County Museum of Art.
This painting shows a baptism ceremony. A priest stands at the left, holding a book and looking at a woman in a white dress, who is holding a baby. Several people, mostly women, are seated or standing around the room, watching the ceremony. The room is decorated with a large window on the right side, a table with a red cloth, and a painting on the wall behind the priest. The atmosphere is formal and solemn. To learn more about the artist's use of light and shadow, look up the technique of chiaroscuro.
