Curatorial Notes
Based on a passage from the New Testament book of Matthew, this work depicts Saint John the Baptist performing Christ's baptism in the river Jordan, during which the heavens opened and the Holy Spirit descended in the form of a dove. The powerful modeling of the bodies and luminous color characterize High Renaissance painting in Venice. Because of Tintoretto's pioneering use of rich color, his work was a crucial source for many later artists.
Artwork Identification
Title Baptism of Christ
Title (PT) Batismo de Cristo
Title (ES) Bautismo de Cristo
Artist Jacopo Tintoretto
Artist Bio Jacopo Tintoretto (Italian, 1518–1594)
Date 1580s
Work Type Painting
Location & Collection
Institution Cleveland Museum of Art
Source View Museum Page
License Creative Commons Public Domain Mark 1.0