With a triple crown and a cross-topped staff, in rings of light.
Bible in art · Matthew
The Baptism of Christ
Juan de Flandes · c. 1508/1519
National Gallery of Art, Washington
Juan de Flandes — “John of Flanders” — was a Netherlandish painter who worked in Spain for Queen Isabella of Castile. Around 1508 he was asked to paint the main altarpiece of the church of San Lázaro in Palencia; this panel was one of its scenes.
He paints the moment in clear, still light. Jesus stands in the river with his hands joined while John pours water over him; above, the heavens open in circles of light, and an angel waits on the bank with his robe.
From the text
- Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John (Matthew 3:13)
- “The Spirit of God descending like a dove” (Matthew 3:16)
- “A voice from heaven” (Matthew 3:17)
- John’s garment of camel’s hair (Matthew 3:4)
The artist’s own
- God the Father shown above, with a triple crown like a pope’s
- An angel holding Jesus’ robe
- A walled Spanish or Flemish town on the far bank
Details
God the Father
The dove
Wings spread, inside a circle of rainbow light.
Jesus
Standing knee-deep in the river, hands joined.
John
A brown garment under a red cloak; water falls from his raised hand.
The angel
In white, with red and gold wings, holding Jesus’ dark green robe.
Juan de Flandes, Hispano-Flemish, active 1496–1519. National Gallery of Art, Washington (Samuel H. Kress Collection, 1961.9.25) · Oil on panel · NGA Open Access: "Images of these works are available free of charge for any use, commercial or non-commercial, under Creative Commons Zero (CC0)." (NGA open data: published_images.csv openaccess = 1)