The artwork titled “Baptism of Christ,” created by Domenico Ghirlandaio between approximately 1486 and 1490, is a fresco that belongs to the Early Renaissance movement. As a religious painting, it is currently housed in Santa Maria Novella, Florence, Italy.
The artwork depicts the baptism of Jesus Christ by John the Baptist, a pivotal event in Christian theology. The central figures are surrounded by a multitude of onlookers, including angelic beings and various individuals bearing witness to this sacred ceremony. Above the primary scene, God the Father is portrayed with a host of angels, symbolically extending His divine approval. The setting is meticulously detailed, with a serene landscape in the background that includes a river, lush greenery, and distant architecture, characteristic of Ghirlandaio’s skillful use of perspective and attention to detail. The composition balances divine and earthly realms, emphasizing both the spiritual significance and the human witnessing of this holy event.
