John the Baptist 1443

Antoniazzo Romano painted this image of John the Baptist in Italy sometime in the late fifteenth century. The artist has created meaning through the use of Christian visual codes. The halo, the cross, and the camel skin all have a symbolic meaning known to the contemporary public. It is important to understand that Rome during this period was shaped by the power of the Catholic Church, who were important art patrons. The church emphasized the importance of John the Baptist as the last prophet. It’s likely that this picture was commissioned for a church. The artist doesn't critique the institutions of art in any obvious way. It is a devotional image which is meant to inspire religious thoughts. As historians, we can study the theological writings of the time, and the visual conventions used by artists in order to better understand the culture in which this was produced.