AMICA ID:
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CMA_.1950.400
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AMICA Library Year:
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2000
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Object Type:
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Paintings
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Creator Name:
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Tintoretto, Jacopo
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Creator Nationality:
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European; Southern European; Italian
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Creator Role:
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artist
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Creator Dates/Places:
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1518 - 1594
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Gender:
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M
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Creator Name-CRT:
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Tintoretto
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Title:
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Baptism of Christ
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Title Type:
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Primary
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View:
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Full View
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Creation Date:
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c. 1585
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Creation Start Date:
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1580
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Creation End Date:
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1590
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Materials and Techniques:
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oil on canvas
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Dimensions:
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Unframed: 169cm x 251.4cm
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AMICA Contributor:
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The Cleveland Museum of Art
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Owner Location:
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Cleveland, Ohio, USA
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ID Number:
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1950.400
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Credit Line:
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Gift of the Hanna Fund
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Rights:
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Provenance:
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William T. Markham (1853, in family until 1923); (Durlacher, London); Arthur Sachs, Paris and New York; (J. Seligmann, New York
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Context:
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This painting is based on the biblical passage from Matthew 3:13. As Saint John baptized Christ in the river Jordan "the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the spirit of God descending as a dove and coming upon him." Saint John leans on a carved statue of a river-god (personifying the Jordan River)--a form derived from ancient Greek and Roman art. At the left, the cave in the rocky landscape refers to Christ's descent into Hell, victory over Satan, and emergence as the son of God transfigured, paralleling the cleansing powers of Baptism.As head of one of the largest and most active work-shops in Venice, Tintoretto often painted only the main figures in a composition, leaving the rest to an able assistant. In this painting, the firm modeling and powerful musculature of the figures are the work of the master, as is the juxtaposition of silhouette and luminosity between Saint John and Christ.
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Related Image Identifier Link:
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CMA_.1950.400.tif
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