Detail View: The AMICA Library: Baptism of Christ

AMICA ID: 
CMA_.1950.400
AMICA Library Year: 
2000
Object Type: 
Paintings
Creator Name: 
Tintoretto, Jacopo
Creator Nationality: 
European; Southern European; Italian
Creator Role: 
artist
Creator Dates/Places: 
1518 - 1594
Gender: 
M
Creator Name-CRT: 
Tintoretto
Title: 
Baptism of Christ
Title Type: 
Primary
View: 
Full View
Creation Date: 
c. 1585
Creation Start Date: 
1580
Creation End Date: 
1590
Materials and Techniques: 
oil on canvas
Dimensions: 
Unframed: 169cm x 251.4cm
AMICA Contributor: 
The Cleveland Museum of Art
Owner Location: 
Cleveland, Ohio, USA
ID Number: 
1950.400
Credit Line: 
Gift of the Hanna Fund
Rights: 
Provenance: 
William T. Markham (1853, in family until 1923); (Durlacher, London); Arthur Sachs, Paris and New York; (J. Seligmann, New York
Context: 
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.
Related Image Identifier Link: 
CMA_.1950.400.tif