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Notes
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The scene reflects John’s report of the event found in the Gospel of John: ‘I saw the Spirit descend as a dove from heaven, and it remained on him.’
The artist was inspired by the Florentine sculptor Lorenzo Ghiberti, who made two sculpted scenes of Christ’s baptism in bronze. The symmetry of this scene resembles the one that Ghiberti made to decorate the doors of the Florence Baptistery. The poses and gestures look like those in the scene Ghiberti made for a baptismal font in Siena – where Giovanni di Paolo worked.
Title
The Baptism of Christ: Predella Panel
Date
1454
Medium
Egg tempera on wood
Measurements
H 31 x W 45 cm
Accession number
NG5451
Acquisition method
Bought with a contribution from The Art Fund, 1944
Work type
Painting
The National Gallery, London
Trafalgar Square, London, Greater London WC2N 5DN England
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