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Saint John the Baptist

Valentin de Boulogne French

ca. 1620–22

Not on view

The young Saint John the Baptist is shown as "the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord" (Mark　1:3). The same youth reappears as Daniel in the Innocence of Susanna, on view in the next gallery. As recorded in the inscription, this picture was given to the Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist in 1733 and was hung outside on the saint’s feast day, which explains its compromised condition. Valentin here reinterprets a famous work by Caravaggio with the active pose and almost audible voice of the saint.

Saint John the Baptist, Valentin de Boulogne (French, Coulommiers-en-Brie 1591–1632 Rome), Oil on canvas — This image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.

Title: Saint John the Baptist

Artist: Valentin de Boulogne (French, Coulommiers-en-Brie 1591–1632 Rome)

Date: ca. 1620–22

Medium: Oil on canvas

Dimensions: 66 1/8 × 48 1/16 in. (168 × 122 cm)
Frame: 70 1/2 × 52 3/4 in. (179 × 134 cm)

Classification: Paintings

Credit Line: Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist, Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne

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