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Compare the two pairs of angels on the banks, then follow the river and the thin, feathery trees back into the soft blue distance.
In the second scene, John the Baptist raises his hand to pour water over Christ, who stands with his palms together in the shallow river. Perugino keeps the moment calm and balanced, with pairs of angels in bright wings on either bank. Like its companions, the panel was painted in tempera on wood and later transferred to canvas.
Tempera on panel, transferred to canvas · 27.3 × 46.4 cm · Art Institute of Chicago · Renaissance · High Renaissance and Mannerism
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Details and source
- Museum title
- The Baptism of Christ
- Artist
- Perugino (Pietro di Cristoforo Vannucci; Italian, 1445/46-1523)
- Date
- 1500–05
- Medium
- Tempera on panel, transferred to canvas
- Dimensions
- 27.3 × 46.4 cm (10 3/4 × 18 1/4 in.)
- Credit line
- Mr. and Mrs. Martin A. Ryerson Collection
- Image license
- CC0 1.0 · Public domain
- Museum record
- Art Institute of Chicago
Renaissance c. 1300–1600
View in the AtlasGaller’s rooms and hanging scale are imagined. The image is the museum’s original digital reproduction.