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Saint John the Baptist Bearing Witness

ca. 1600
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 620
Among his innovations, Annibale launched the vogue for landscapes in which nature was carefully studied but transformed by the imagination into an idyllic setting for religious or mythological stories. The main figure’s large almond eyes derive from the study of ancient sculpture. Annibale’s painting depicts John heralding the arrival of Christ, to whom he points and whom he will baptize the next day. This beautifully preserved oil on copper has been part of several illustrious collections, including the Farnese family’s in Parma and the Orléans collection in Paris.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Saint John the Baptist Bearing Witness
  • Artist: Annibale Carracci (Italian, Bologna 1560–1609 Rome)
  • Date: ca. 1600
  • Medium: Oil on copper
  • Dimensions: 21 3/8 x 17 1/8 in. (54.3 x 43.5 cm)
  • Classification: Paintings
  • Credit Line: Gift of Fabrizio Moretti and Adam Williams, in honor of Everett Fahy, 2009
  • Object Number: 2009.252
  • Curatorial Department: European Paintings

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Saint Jerome in the Wilderness
Annibale Carracci
Pietro Stefanoni
ca. 1591
Madonna and Child
Annibale Carracci
before 1593
Christ Crowned with Thorns, Annibale Carracci Italian, Etching
Christ Crowned with Thorns
Annibale Carracci
1606
Holy Family with Saint John the Baptist and Michael
Annibale Carracci
1582
Madonna della Scodella
Annibale Carracci
1606

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