Baptism of Christ,
Painted by Andrea del Verrocchio (1435-1488) and Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519),
Painted between 1472-1475,
Oil on wood
© Uffizi Gallery, Florence
Baptism of Christ,
Painted by Andrea del Verrocchio (1435-1488) and Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519),
Painted between 1472-1475,
Oil on wood
© Uffizi Gallery, Florence
Feast of Baptism of the Lord
Matthew 3:13-17
Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptised by John. John tried to dissuade him. ‘It is I who need baptism from you’ he said ‘and yet you come to me!’ But Jesus replied, ‘Leave it like this for the time being; it is fitting that we should, in this way, do all that righteousness demands.’ At this, John gave in to him.
As soon as Jesus was baptised he came up from the water, and suddenly the heavens opened and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming down on him. And a voice spoke from heaven, ‘This is my Son, the Beloved; my favour rests on him.’
Reflection on the painting
Our painting depicting the Baptism of Christ, was painted between 1472-1475 in the studio of Andrea del Verrocchio, with the help of his pupil Leonardo da Vinci. The angel to the far left is painted by the youthful Leonardo. If you look up close, you will notice the face is painted by a different hand from the rest of the painting.
The two angels to the left of the river Jordan are in a kneeling position. One (Leonardo’s angel) is holding Jesus’s garment, and the other is shown with hands folded; both are depicted in front of the palm tree, symbolic of salvation. Early Christians already used the palm branch to symbolize the victory of the faithful over enemies of the soul, as in the Palm Sunday festival celebrating the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. Saint John the Baptist is holding a staff with a gold cross at the top as he pours the river water on Jesus’s head. There is an inscription on the scroll that John has by his hand which includes the first two words of a passage from John 1:29, "ECCE AGNUS DEI QUI TOLLIT PECCATA MUNDI" ("Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world”). God’s hands can be seen in the heavens, at the very top of the painting, sending down the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove.
Today’s Gospel contains three quotations. The first has John being uneasy about baptising Jesus; the second is Jesus’ explanation about why John should go ahead and baptise him; and the third is the voice from heaven. All three are present in this magnificent painting.
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Jesús nos une con su amor y nos hace participes de una familia de fe. Oro por Carolyn y su madre y por la persona del email. No estamos solos, siempre Jesús y María nos acompañan en las noches oscuras del alma.
Yesterday I learned news of my mothers soon passing from cancer at age 82. I as well as the lonely woman in the email, am single and lonely, and my heart aches at the thought of loosing my beloved mother. I am disabled and alone as it is. I too have had a keen interest of John the Baptist, lately as also mentioned in the comments today. I am humored by his name in ‘The Chosen’ by Simon Peter as “Creepy John”. That humanizes John to a different level, and has made this Saint more accessible to me. Praying for peace in my soul just moments ago this morning, I come here to acclaim that today’s Christian Art reflection has given me some peace. Thank you all! I am praying my Hail Mary now, for all single aged peoples. As they process loneliness and anticipation of death., may the Spirit of God reach to their hearts to bring peace in the everlasting sacrifice of The Lamb of God.
Thank you Carolyn.
My prayers as with you.
🙏🙏
That was an uplifting post Carolyn. In your sadness, faith is still there, thanks be to God. I pray He will sustain you when you’re feeling low.
I will look up Creepy John ☺️
A friend in need, is a friend indeed. Glad she can turn to you Patrick. We join with you – life’s a hard road sometimes.
I am getting to be a big fan of John the Baptist – he reveals so much to us of who Christ is.
A wonderful painting today and great perspective for that period as well…
Happy feast day everyone!
Every day I get emails from readers. Today this email stood out especially. I have taken out the name and location, to respect privacy. But can we kindly keep this person in our prayers today. Thank you:
“Today I will receive the Sacrament of Encouraging. I am 82, have no children, the last three years I lost
7 beloved people, my life gets empty and lonely. I need more than ever Our Lord for comfort and strength.
Please, pray a Hail Mary for me, today.”
I have just prayed my Hail Mary for this intention. Please do the same. Thank you so much.
Amen! I too have lost several people dear to me this year. If we didn’t love then a loss would not be painful.
So many lonely people these days. Thank God for a mother like Mary to comfort us. He/she is assured of my Hail Mary, and one each time they come to mind today.
I have said my prayer for this person. I was at a funeral last week, and will attend two more in the next few. January is a tough month for all sorts of reasons, but the light has come into the world and will not leave. I hope this person is sustained through these dark days by that light and in doing so, can still spread it to others. God bless you too Patrick on your journey back to Rome.
As we get older we lose dear friends , so many changes ……
Yes, very true…
🙏🙏
Thank you, Patrick, for sharing this prayer request with us, and thanks to Carolyn for sharing her request as well. It is a privilege and a blessing to be able to pray for others.