The painting under consideration is called The Baptism of Christ. The author of the picture is Nicolas Poussin. This painting was created in 1641 (1642).
The techniques of the picture combine the features of Renaissance and Italian art. It reflects the features of baroque as it was made in the period of its blossom.
The measurement of the painting: 95.5 x 121 cm.
The Baptism of Christ was made in Paris during the period of Poussin’s work in the court. It was exhibited in many great museums in the USA and the whole of Europe. The picture under analysis is a part of the collection situated in the National Gallery of Art. There are a lot of works devoted to the biblical theme with the description of this picture. But unfortunately, there is no book depicting the peculiarities of this masterpiece.
The title of the painting reflects the biblical theme and explains the essential role of human form mastery in the history of painting. The painter managed to illustrate the real fear of the painted figures who acknowledge the son of God, Christ involving the viewers into the significant biblical moment of time. The date of the painting creation is considered to be 1641 according to some sources, but according to others, it is 1642. There was no date on the picture itself in order to identify it exactly.
Visual Analysis
The picture is framed: 123.8 x 149.9 x 14 cm. The frame of the painting reflects the genre of the picture created in the period of baroque in France. The frame of the picture is considered to be original.
The Baptism of Christ is considered to be oil on canvas. The author managed to illustrate all the necessary features and figures in the painting. Border limits are clearly defined underlining the edges of the painting. The form of the picture is rectangular. It is better for the viewers to look at the picture below because it will help to understand the theme of the work.
The composition of the picture covers the Jordan River together with the foreground plane including 13 figures on it. To the right one can see Christ and to the left the author depicted paradise: here one can see two wingless angels help Christ. The painter depicted Saint John who holds a vessel near Christ’s head. The combination of sophisticated figures presented in the picture highlight the reflection of biblical paradise.
The picture is a bit overlapping and the position of the figures has no particular order. The painting is complicated for viewers’ perception because it has a sophisticated theme and a combination of various style features. The author illustrated the ornateness of the picture by the combination of nature with the great number of human beings.
Analyzing the picture one can see the mixture of different colours which underline the beauty of nature and the mood of the painting itself. The usage of bright colours helped the painter to show the harmony of nature with people.
The Baptism of Christ is painted in dull lights. Such lightness was used by the author in order to underline the dark mood of the painting. The cloudiness of the sky is used together with the dim lights of the picture.
The picture is the reflection of the individual style of the author. He managed to highlight all the features of his period in art development. The illustration of the biblical theme with the beauty of nature makes the painting alive and involving.
References
Poussin, Nicolas. The Baptism of Christ. Web.