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Saint John the Baptist

Saint John the Baptist

Who was John the Baptist and why has he been so important to artists and patrons over the centuries? 10 films explore the life of this pivotal figure through masterpieces in the National Gallery and beyond.

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11 videos

Slide number: 1

View time: 8:07

Who was John the Baptist and why has he been so important to artists and patrons over the centuries? In this first of 10 films, art historian Jennifer Sliwka and theologian Ben Quash introduce us to this pivotal figure in the Biblical story, and reve...

Slide number: 2

View time: 9:15

Like Christ, John the Baptist was also miraculously conceived. His elderly mother Elizabeth was also a kinswoman of the Virgin Mary. In this episode, art historian Jennifer Sliwka and theologian Ben Quash reveal the significance of the meeting of the...

Slide number: 3

View time: 8:17

There are several miracles surrounding the birth and naming of John the Baptist and in these his father Zacharias, plays an important role. In this episode art historian Jennifer Sliwka and theologian Ben Quash reveal how this story was told in art a...

Slide number: 4

View time: 10:02

The Bible reveals very little about the childhood of John the Baptist. In the 14th century however, a Dominican friar called Domenico Cavalca wrote a biography of the saint that filled in the gaps. This work's popularity inspired Italian Renaissance ...

Slide number: 5

View time: 7:34

John the Baptist's role throughout his life was to prepare the way for Christ's ministry on earth, that is, the travelling, teaching and preaching Christ would begin after his baptism by John. To prepare himself for this great task, the young John th...

Slide number: 6

View time: 9:17

John the Baptist returns from the wilderness to begin preaching in Jerusalem. His message is 'Prepare ye the way of the Lord'. Art historian Jennifer Sliwka and theologian Ben Quash look at National Gallery masterpieces by Raphael, Mola and Parmigian...

Slide number: 7

View time: 11:44

John the Baptist earns his name from his baptism of Christ on the banks of the River Jordan. This act marks the beginning of Christ's ministry, when he begins to travel, preach and perform miracles, and later becomes a key ritual in the entry of the ...

Slide number: 8

View time: 11:43

John the Baptist is the only figure in the New Testament to die before Jesus Christ; his beheading is one of the most dramatic scenes represented in the history of art. Art historian Jennifer Sliwka and theologian Ben Quash visit St. John's Co-Cathed...

Slide number: 9

View time: 10:21

The representation of John the Baptist's life doesn't end with his martyrdom. Independent images of his severed head are a particular focus of devotion and became popular both as paintings and as sculpted objects made for the home - a tradition that ...

Slide number: 10

View time: 13:57

John the Baptist's proclamations on justice meant that he was often adopted by rulers as a patron saint and role model. According to some traditions John descended to the underworld after his death to prepare the souls for the Last Judgment, and so a...

Slide number: 11

View time: 1:45

John the Baptist has been painted by some of the most famous artists in the National Gallery from Piero della Francesca and Leonardo to Caravaggio and Puvis de Chavannes. But who was he and why has he been so important to artists and patrons over the...

Saint John the Baptist

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