The Baptism of Christ

Art Institute of Chicago

The Baptism of Christ

Martin SchongauerLinkedCulture matchlcp-ef20aef5eff8

Date
1480/90
Medium
Engraving in black on ivory laid paper
Culture
Germany
Department
Prints and Drawings
Institution
Art Institute of Chicago
Object ID
3827

From the Art Institute of Chicago record

This luminous engraving depicts Christ being baptized by his cousin Saint John the Baptist in the River Jordan. The scene is sparsely populated; the only witnesses are God the Father, visible in a cloud, and an angel holding dry clothes for Christ’s later use. John clasps an elegantly bound volume, anachronistically referring to baptism as a sacramental rite of the Christian faith. Here John touches Christ’s forehead with two fingers, rather than pouring water over his head from his cupped hands. This distinction suggests that Schongauer’s print shows John anointing Christ with oil in the final part of the baptism ceremony.

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Provenance & credit

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Credit line
Bequest of Mrs. Potter Palmer, Jr.

Linked open data

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Object type
AAT300041273

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