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Description: | St John the Baptist was the biblical forerunner to Jesus. He led a life of abstinence in the wilderness, as conveyed in this painting. Wearing little but animal skins he contemplates the symbol of the cross on which Jesus was destined to die. The lamb by his feet alludes to his description of Christ as the 'Lamb of God'. His youthful portrayal and the attention to form in depicting his pose, suggest an Italian artist. The past attribution to Giusepe Melani, about whom there is little documentation, would not be inconsistent with the apparent date and origin of the painting. | Subjects: | religion (John the Baptist); figure | Source: | Vads | Creator: | Artist: Dutch School Æ Attributed to Previously attributed to Melani, Giusepe (Italian artist, 1673-1747) | Identifier: | http://www.vads.ac.uk/large.php?uid=8606... | Go to resource |
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