AGNOLO
(1503-1572)
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AGNOLO (1503-1572) |
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St.John the Baptist
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enlarged version. 
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In an unusual composition, Bronzino has painted St. John the Baptist as a handsome young man. It seems very far removed from the usual pictures of John as a wooly and dirty hermit living off of grasshoppers. The only "symbol" by which this figure can be identified is the pointed hand, the tradition sign of St. John the Baptists, who pointed out Jesus as the lamb of God..
Appearing to be full-size, this painting demonstrates the skill of the Mannerist painter in fitting a brilliant body-study into a small pictorial space. Artistically, all interest is on the nude, with the nakedness concealed more by the way the figure holds his body than the way he plays with the drapery and the hide mantle. The only other symbol in the picture is the Jacob's staff, in the dark. This is cleverly foreshortened, and thus not the real message of the painting. |
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