Birth of John the Baptist, c. 1485–1490, tempera on wood, 32 x 70 cm (12.5 x 27.5 in.), Louvre

Birth of John the Baptist is a c. 1485–1490 tempera on panel painting by Luca Signorelli.[1] Originally part of the predella of an unknown altarpiece (though Raffaele Caracciolo definitively linked it to the Sant'Onofrio Altarpiece), it was acquired on the art market in 1824 by the Louvre, where it still hangs in the Salle des Sept-Mètres.[2][3]

History and art review

The painting is thought to be an early work of Signorelli. It is unusually cursive in style for the artist, and is notable as an experiment in the use of dramatic lighting.[4] The Birth of John the Baptist has been called one of the best examples of the work of Signorelli.[5]

References

  1. ^ (in Italian) Antonio Paolucci, 'Luca Signorelli', in Pittori del Rinascimento, Scala, Firenze 2004 ISBN 888117099X
  2. ^ "Catalogue entry" (in French). 1475.
  3. ^ (in Italian) Raffaele Caracciolo, Iacopo Vagnucci vescovo e committente d'arte nel secondo Quattrocento, Provincia di Perugia, 2008 ISBN 978-88-86255-17-2
  4. ^ Mostyn-Owen, W. (1953). "Exhibition of Luca Signorelli at Cortona". The Burlington Magazine. 95 (605): 274–272.
  5. ^ Benson, Robert Henry (1893). Exhibition of the Work of Luca Signorelli and His School. London: Saraswati Press. p. 12. ISBN 978-1249972396. Retrieved 7 November 2019.


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