John the Baptist
Basic Info
Prophet, baptizer, preacher, ascetic, cousin, forerunner, and martyr are the various roles in which we find John the Baptist portrayed. John has been a popular subject of Christian art since the earliest days of Christian art. Baptism was very important in the first few Christian centuries, thus Jesus’ Baptism was important, and thus John, who baptized Jesus, was important. The website contains a separate page about artwork depicting Jesus' Baptism.
The Gospel of Luke tells of John’s miraculous birth to Elizabeth and Zechariah. Elizabeth is Mary’s kinswoman and the one Mary visits when she learns she is pregnant with Jesus (Visitation), which makes John the Baptist a kinsman or cousin to Jesus.
John preached a Baptism of repentance from sin. His asceticism (praying in the desert, eating locusts and honey, wearing clothes made of animal skins) set him apart in his day. Jesus sang John’s praises and he probably had a pretty substantial following while he was alive. Either because he was preaching a counter-cultural message that threatened the dominant order or because he denounced Herod’s marriage to his sister-in-law, Herod didn’t like him (Herod was the King of Judea under the Romans). The Gospel of Matthew reports that Herod had John the Baptist beheaded and, by request of his step-daughter, Salome, had the head delivered to her on a platter as a gift for her dancing for Herod.
John is usually recognizable in artworks because of the animal skins clothing. Sometime he even appears in this clothing when he is depicted as a little boy hanging out with the baby Jesus and Mary. Images of the Holy Family sometimes include John and sometimes do not. When they do, John is sometimes just a little older than Jesus and sometimes a lot older. Occasionally, John’s mother, Elizabeth (Mary’s cousin), also appears in images of the Holy Family.
When John is depicted in an image by himself, he is often depicted holding a staff and a scroll bearing the words Ecce Agnus Dei, which mean “Behold the Lamb of God.” He is understood as the forerunner, the one who would point to the Messiah.
John’s death also became popular in the work of artists. (Matthew 14:1–12; Mark 6:14–29; Luke 9:7–9) Portrayals of Herod’s court, Salome’s dance, and John’s imprisonment and beheading are common and sometimes painted as a cycle in a single artwork. Though the Bible recounts at least two other famous beheadings (Goliath and Holofernes), John’s is usually the only head on a platter; the other two tend to be held up by the hair.
What to Look For
- John’s physical appearance (physique, posture, gestures, pointing, etc.)
- John’s clothing (hairy, rough animal skins)
- Banner or scroll that says “Ecce Agnus Dei”
- The other child hanging out with the child Jesus and Mary
- Head on a platter
- Environment (desert, prison, Jordan River, party scene at Herod’s)
Questions to Focus a General Interpretation
Does the artwork emphasize John’s role as prophet / forerunner of Jesus, his life as an acetic (voluntarily giving up the comforts of civilized life), his being a leader of a community himself, or his death?
Is John presented as someone to imitate? Who might be inclined to imitate someone this extreme?
Questions to Guide a Personal Interpretation
Do you listen to people who are dressed as differently as John is depicted in this artwork? What might you be missing?
How does this artist’s depiction of John’s lifestyle (clothing, etc.) relate to John’s role in Jesus’ life? How might this relate to people who live an ascetic lifestyle today?
Questions to Suggest a Historical Interpretation
John the Baptist has been immensely popular throughout the history of Christian art. Why might he have been popular for the people in the artist’s time and place?
