Baptism of Christ 1490

Domenico Ghirlandaio made this fresco of the Baptism of Christ here at Santa Maria Novella in Florence. Fresco is a particularly interesting medium, because it literally incorporates the wall into the artwork. The artist would have worked quickly, applying pigment to wet plaster so that the colors are bound into the very fabric of the architecture. As you can see, Ghirlandaio had an exceptional skill in representing depth and detail with this technique, as well as an adept use of color to give the scene a great sense of realism. To prepare, he would have made numerous preparatory drawings, cartoons, and the physical labor of preparing the wall, mixing the plaster, grinding the pigments, and applying them with precision, one section at a time, while the plaster remained wet. The fresco thus embodies the collective effort of skilled artisans, blurring the line between art and craft. Understanding this context is crucial to appreciating the artistic achievement and the value that was placed upon the artist and his workshop.