Saint John the Baptist indicates Christ 

Giovanni Battista Gaulli painted 'Saint John the Baptist indicates Christ' in oils, with all the implications of the medium. Oil paint allowed for the creation of luminous effects through layering and glazing. Gaulli clearly understood how to manipulate it. Look closely, and you can see how he builds up the figures from dark shadows to vibrant highlights, especially on the saint’s skin and the folds of his drapery. This technique, known as chiaroscuro, gives the painting a dramatic, almost theatrical quality. It's no accident that Gaulli was celebrated for his illusionistic ceiling frescoes in Roman churches. But let's also consider the social context. The use of oil paint, with its demand for specialized pigments and skilled application, speaks to a culture of patronage and artistic training. Gaulli had to learn from someone. The finished painting reflects not only the artist's talent, but also the availability of resources and the expectations of the art market. In the end, this painting, while depicting a religious scene, is also a testament to the material and social conditions that made its creation possible.