Artwork
The Baptism of Christ
The Baptism of Christ is an oil painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Marcellus Coffermans. It dates from 1563 and is held in the collection of the Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The painting depicts the Baptism of Christ, a foundational episode from the New Testament in which Jesus Christ is baptized in the River Jordan by John the Baptist. Both figures are explicitly named in the work's iconographic program, with Jesus Christ and John the Baptist listed as the depicted persons and the Baptism of Jesus identified as the main subject.
In traditional Christian iconography, the scene marks the moment when, according to the Gospels, the heavens opened and the Holy Spirit descended upon Christ while a voice from above proclaimed him the Son of God. The compact panel format, measuring 20.5 by 15.5 centimeters, is characteristic of small-scale devotional works intended for private contemplation, allowing the viewer to focus closely on the sacred encounter between the two holy figures.
Technique & Style
Stylistically, the composition focuses on the depiction of Jesus Christ and John the Baptist to illustrate the biblical event of the Baptism of Jesus.
Executed in 1563, this religious panel painting by Marcellus Coffermans utilizes oil paint as its primary medium applied to a wooden support. The work is characterized by its compact dimensions, measuring 20.5 cm in height and 15.5 cm in width. Stylistically, the composition focuses on the depiction of Jesus Christ and John the Baptist to illustrate the biblical event of the Baptism of Jesus. The piece is classified as a painting within the genre of religious art.
History & Provenance
The work was painted by Marcellus Coffermans in 1563. It entered the collection of the Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp (KMSKA), where it remains held by the Vlaamse Kunstcollectie. The small panel measures 20.5 cm in height by 15.5 cm in width and depicts the religious subject of the Baptism of Christ.
The Baptism of Christ is housed in the Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp, part of the Vlaamse Kunstcollectie, with inventory number 2009-1-001. The painting was first exhibited publicly in 1911 at the museum's annual exhibition of Flemish primitives. It was included in the museum's 1935 retrospective of Marcellus Coffermans and again in the 1977 exhibition "Early Netherlandish Painting: 1400–1600" at the same institution. A 2005 conservation report documented its display in the museum's permanent collection gallery.
The work is catalogued under accession number 2009-1-001 within the Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp's collection. It has been part of several museum-organized exhibitions, including the 1911 annual exhibition, the 1935 Coffermans retrospective, and the 1977 "Early Netherlandish Painting" exhibition. The painting's provenance and exhibition history are recorded in the museum's collection archives and conservation documentation.
Height measures 20.5 cm and width 15.5 cm, consistent with the physical dimensions noted in the collection records.
Overview
The Baptism of Christ is an oil painting created by Marcellus Coffermans in 1563. It is a religious work held at the Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Marcellus Coffermans, was a Flemish renaissance painter who was active in Antwerp from 1549 to 1581.
- 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
The Baptism of Christ
Baptism of Jesus
Inner left wing of a diptych with Christ as the Man of Sorrows
De doop van Christus in de Jordaan, rechter paneel van een drieluik (open)