Ancient oil painting on canvas depicting Saint John the Baptist. Tuscany 18th century.

Ancient oil painting on canvas depicting Saint John the Baptist.

The painting depicts Saint John the Baptist, sitting next to a white lamb, his inevitable iconographic attribute, near a stream that gushes out water.
The young Saint is half covered by a red manta ray and holds the reed cross on which the white scroll will then be wrapped to house the writing "Ecce agnus Dei ecce qui tollis peccata mundi".
One of the most popular and most venerated saints in the Christian faith, St. John the Baptist is considered the precursor of Christ, as once he grew up he dedicated himself to a hermit's existence in the desert, preaching conversion and baptizing his disciples on the banks of the river Jordan, so much so that even Jesus went to him to receive baptism.
The work presents a remarkable pictorial finesse with a perfect scenic construction, a particularly lively natural opening that immerses itself in a wooded landscape, so much so as to arouse complete involvement on the part of the spectator.
Analyzing the canvas, it shows a happy synthesis with the Tuscan tradition, both in the design and in the plastic conformation and presents a dense and vibrant color palette. The color tones are brilliant and this produces a wealth of luminous effects.
The painting is enclosed in a carved wooden frame with leaves in relief from the same period.

Conditions: Excellent condition.