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probably by Sassoferrato, after Pietro Perugino, 'The Baptism of Christ', about 1630-50

About the work

Overview

This scene shows Christ being baptised by John the Baptist in the River Jordan. The composition is directly based on a panel painted by Perugino for the Benedictine Abbey of San Pietro in Perugia, Italy. When the work was acquired by the National Gallery in the nineteenth century it was thought to be an authentic Renaissance painting, but was subsequently dismissed as a nineteenth-century forgery. Recent technical examination has shown that its pigments are typical of those used in the seventeenth century, including the rare lead-tin-antimony yellow.

In the mid-seventeenth century, Perugino’s original painting was still at San Pietro, where it would have been seen by Sassoferrato, who was working there between 1630 and 1650. Known primarily for his images of the Virgin Mary, Sassoferrato was also a skilled copyist. This painting demonstrates several of his stylistic idiosyncracies, and he is one of the few painters known to have used lead-tin-antimony yellow.

Key facts

Details

Full title
The Baptism of Christ
Artist
probably by Sassoferrato, after Pietro Perugino
Artist dates
1609 - 1685; living 1469; died 1523
Date made
about 1630-50
Medium and support
oil on canvas, mounted on wood
Dimensions
32.5 × 59 cm
Acquisition credit
Bought, 1894
Inventory number
NG1431
Location
Not on display
Collection
Main Collection

About this record

If you know more about this painting or have spotted an error, please contact us. Please note that exhibition histories are listed from 2009 onwards. Bibliographies may not be complete; more comprehensive information is available in the National Gallery Library.

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